Year Two: Descending Light
by Mistress of Sarcasm
Summary: Lia Shanner was really hoping for a normal year. Too much homework, a few projects, and lazy afternoons spent hanging out with her friends. Unfortunately, no one informed the Society of Light of her plans. Really, she expected normal at Duel Academy?
1. Opening Words

If I could have your attention, please. Everyone, settle down. Let me make a few things clear before the Chancellor addresses you all. I understand that it's been a long summer, and you're very eager to see your friends again, and start the new year, but please, remain seated until the opening rally has been completed. If you must speak, do so quietly, and please, try to stay awake. Remember, this school does not belong to us, and we are all guests here for the school year. Acknowlegde that, and treat it with respect. We are not here to make a profit, or to make a mockery of all the hard work that goes into this place. We are here to enjoy ourselves, see our friends, have adventures and maybe, if we're lucky, learn something along the way.

...

Oh! Well, apparently it's time to move on with the ceremonies, so please, give a warm, Duel Academy welcome to your Chancellor!

* * *

******_Welcome, one and all, to Duel Acadeny. I am your Chancellor, Doctor Crowler, and it is my delight to open the doors of this fine institution of learning for you. I and my staff hope you will be very happy here. We will do everything in our power to accomidate you in order to ensure that your year with us is an exceptionally pleasany one. By all means, feel free to stop by my office if you have a problem. I'm more than happy to help._**

**Crowler, what are you doing?**

_**Shut up, Bonaparte, I **_**have**_** to say things like this. The School Board insists on really think I want these whiny little brats to come running to me every time their duel disk jams up?**_

**You don't have to lay it one so thick.**

_**When my job depends on it, then yes, yes I do.**_

_**Ahem.**_

_**Now where was I?**_

_**Ah yes! Please, feel free to come and talk to me about anything. I'm here to help you. Now, to go over the rules and explain some of the finer, inner workings of our illustrious school is...Really? We're using her?**_

**She's one of our top students.**

_**But she's so...hard to get along with.**_

**Hey, I don't make the rules.**

_**Fine. Here to speak to you is one of the top ranking Academics of last year, Miss Lia Shanner!**_

_Seriously? You're making me do this?_

_**Get on that stage right now, young lady!**_

_Alright, fine, don't throw a fit. I'm going._

_Shit, I can't believe I have to do this. This had got to be the stupidest thing I've ever- Jaden, stop cheering, I haven't even said anything yet. Sit down. Sit down! Lexi, do something about him!_

_..._

_Not what I had in mind, but okay, that works._

_So, uh, is this thing on? Hello? Can you hear me?_

_..._

_Sorry! Okay, appparently you can all hear me. Atticus, stop writhing on the ground, you drama queen. Your ears don't hurt that much._

_..._

_Yes, you are a drama queen._

_..._

_Yes, you are._

_..._

_You're a queen, Atticus, get over it._

_Anyway, um, hi. Welcome to Duel Academy. Please don't feed the Sacred Beasts._

_..._

_Why are you laughing? That wasn't a joke. We really mean that. For god sakes, don't feed them. In fact, don't go near them. Just stay away from crypts and keys and...you know what, just...just don't leave the school or your dorm rooms. Stick to the marked paths and please, please, __**please**__ don't set off any chain reactions that will lead to the end of the world._

_Our nerves are already shot, you don't want to tempt fate, trust me._

_Chazz I can see you opening your mouth, so I'm gonna go ahead and say it._

_No. Shut the fuck up, I'm talking here. We can do this later, when the audience is significantly smaller._

_..._

_What did you just say to me?_

_You wanna come down here and say it to my face, Princeton?_

_..._

_What?_

_..._

_**What?**_

_Oh that's it, get down here you little punk!_

_I'm gonna kick your ass all the way back into whatever hellhole you crawled out of! Huh?_

_..._

_Alright, geez, fine, I won't beat him up. Stupid teachers and their stupid rules._

_Where was I again?_

_Oh yeah, chain reactions and end of the world. Thanks Sy._

_So, in other words, don't do anything stupid. I know that's gonna be a hard task for some of you, but please, try to resist the urge. If you really find it that hard, you can always ask Jaden about what happens in that crypt. He's the dumbass brunet who wouldn't shut up and is currently in a headlock by Alexis._

_..._

_Yes, she's the pretty blonde._

_..._

_What?_

_..._

_Why yes, I do have her number. No, I am not giving it to you, you little punk, sit down and shut up._

_Anyway, yeah crypts bad, beasts bad, and if anyone approaches you and claims to be a 'Shadow Rider', we reccomend turning tail and running as fast as your scrawny legs will carry you in the opposite direction._

_..._

_I sweat ta God Chazz, the second I am done with this shit I am sending this microphone through your skull!_

_Okay, next order of business. The Forbidden Forest._

_..._

_I can make all the _Harry Potter_ references I like, screw you, I'm talking._

_So see that forest we got going on out there? Good idea to keep out of it. There are tigers in those woods._

_..._

_Excuse me, genius, but did you happen to notice that we have oak trees and pine trees on a __**tropical island**__? Trust me, flora and fauna do not adhere to the laws of reality in this place. Hell, we get snow in December._

_..._

_No, no actually, I am not shitting you. I'm serious. Wait a few months. I guarentee, you will see snow._

_Let's see, what else..._

_Oh yeah. If any of your classmates, teachers, or random people you see hanging around the school – we get a lot of those, so don't freak out about strangers and candy, 'kay kids? – look like they might burst into maniacal laughter at any given moment, please come and tell us. That's usually a sign of an evil meglomaniac bent on either world domination or total world destruction, sometimes both if they're a particularly creative villian, and we'd really like to nip this thing in the bud before it gets out of hand. After all, Jaden can only duel so many psychos at once._

_Wave, Jay._

_See, there you are. Hero type guy. You got a problem with evil entities out to take over the world? Go to him. He'll deal with it._

_..._

_What?_

_No._

_God no._

_Who the hell told you that?_

_The adults here to jack shit! Trust me, take it from someone who knows. We have to deal with all the shit that goes on around here. The teachers all just sit back and let us work out our own problems, even if those problems involve three very large, angry monsters that can suck your soul out._

_Yeah, that happens. Just think about that before you go exploring some ancient temple you find out in the woods. Because we all know you aren't going to listen to me, and the first chance you get, you're gonna be out there in the forest, poking at things and disturbing shit. With our luck, you'll find a native burial ground and ruin it, and we'll have to deal with it, a la _Poltregeist_. That was a good movie. Lexi, I think we should watch the _Poltregeist_ movies this Friday._

_..._

_O c'mon! It's the first Friday of the month, and that means Jaden and I get to pick. And we totally want something scary. It's not even very gory! Just a little face peeling, that's all. I promise._

_..._

_Lex, it's either that or the _Friday the 13th _series. I'll make you watch it. You know I will. And I'll eat pizza while doing it._

_..._

_I knew you'd see it my way. Atticus, stop glaring, I'm not bullying your sister, I'm negotiating._

_Geez, tempermental much. Yeah, so, um...the teachers just basically let us solve our own shit. I don't know if it's because they think we oughta learn a lesson, or if they're lazy, or if they're just too incompetent to do anything, but, y'know. If you manage to get some malevolent spirit haunting you, you're pretty much on your own._

_Unless it can duel._

_Then Jaden will duel it, if only to say that he has._

_..._

_What?_

_How should I know? _

_Ask him yourself if you're so curious._

_Not now, dumbass! I'm still talking. Chazz, shut up!_

_..._

_I know you weren't saying anything. But you were thinking of saying something and with you, that's just as bad._

_..._

_Yes, honey, I can read minds. And I'm reading yours right now._

_..._

_Jesus Christ, I was joking! Don't have a fit! God, freshmen..._

_Okay, is there anything I've missed?_

_..._

_Huh?_

_..._

_Um, I guess you can take dueling classes if you really want to. I don't know a lot of Academics who do, but sure, why not? Be different._

_..._

_...I'm not actually at liberty to tell you that. There was this pact, we were all sworn to secrecy, blood was spilled, wine was consumed, you know the drill._

_..._

_Well, yeah, there's a collusium about half an hour's walk into the forest, but I don't reccomend it. That's where the tigers are._

_..._

_Do I need to point out the deciduous trees again? Trust me, there are tigers. There might even lions. Who knows? There could be a friggin' bear out there, and if you so much as think about making a _Wizard of Oz _joke, this microphone is going upside your head, kid._

_..._

_Hey, no, no, no! My microphone! I'm not done yet, Crowler! I'll keep the threats to a minimum, I promise._

_So, uh, basically, this is Duel Academy. Love it or hate it, you're stuck here for the next eight months so you might as well make the best of it. Please don't write home about all the weird shit that is going to happen. Yes, it's going to happen, wipe those horrified looks off your faces. You checked normal at the door. Other than that, I can't really think of anything to say, so, uh, good luck. You're gonna need it._

_..._

_Oh, and to whoever took the skeleton out of Science Room B: Haha, we are all very amused. Now put it __**back**__._

_Welcome to Duel Academy. Try not to get eaten._

_Now where's the coffee you cheated me out of? I need my caffine to function. I was adlibbing up there._

_..._

_Oh yeah? Well, bad things happen to good people and worse things happen to bad people. Get out of my way before I make some bad things happen._

_God I hate the first day of school._

* * *

Now students, settle down, there are some other things we have to go over before you can go back to your rooms.

...

Where are you all going?

No, stay! We're not done yet! Don't head over to the next phase of the rally yet! Hang on!

...

Damnit! They never listen


	2. Returning Players

Warnings: I think we're all about to get a little nostalgic here, myself included.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_. Damn, this takes me back.

* * *

The thing shifted.

It wasn't so much a shifting motion as it was a twisting, turning, rolling one, the thing curling in on itself and slithering over its own mass in its restlessness. There was a keening, angry wail that issued from it every few seconds, but the thing had no mouth to open, so the sound echoed out from all over it, reverbiating off the walls of its confinement and bouncing back at it. The thing threw itself against the side of the cage, bashing back and forth, trying to rock the walls enough to shake and shatter them.

From far, far away, it had felt the terrible, cool presence of its nemisis rear up and fight back an enemy. It saw, without eyes and without senses, the shadows being flung back, the ravenous Beasts screaming, half in fury, half in agony, and at the center of the storm, decked out in Slifer's blazing crimson, his eyes hidden beneath a cloud of frighteningly familiar brown hair, was a boy.

And the Light recognized him.

Fury filled it at the thought of its rival, contained and and molded into the form of a scrawny teenaged boy. The plan it had spent millenia concocting, carefully setting each step since the fall of Haou's kingdom, had been thrown into chaos by one foolish, unforseen event. The Beasts hadn't taken who they were supposed to. They'd taken a sacrifice, the little brat who'd loved his brother and given up everything in order to protect him. And in doing so, he'd changed the rules and the plan had been all but shot to hell.

Because in order to save him, the Herald who was suppose to lay asleep in the boy for several more years had awoken in his time of need, and the Darkness had rushed forth to protect and aid the boy long before it was supposed to.

And the Light was livid.

Everything it had worked for, every trap it had set, from that weak-hearted girl's bargain to the birth of the new Herald, had been blown apart because of one, stupid, selfless little maggot that had more guts than brains. Its entire scheme needed to be rethought and recalibrated, its traps reset and the bait changed, and every step needed an overhaul that would work with the new challenges that were presented to it.

The Light didn't care for humans. It thought that they were weak, annoying little leeches, if it thought of them at all. The only time it paid attention to the human race was when, in its constant drifting and travels, it happened to stumble upon a particularly malicious or weak-minded individual, who could easily be bent to its will. The only time the Light perked up in the presence of humans was when it found one it could manipulate, sometimes for its own personal gain, and sometimes just because it was bored and wanted to get some amusement out of ruining someone's life.

The only thing that amused it more than bending the weak to its will was bending the s_trong_. There was something thrilling about finding a mind it could use, but having to fight with the person's conscience and their sense of morals. There was something very satisfying about knowing it was able to break a person who knew what they were doing was wrong. There was something very fulfilling about destroying a person, inside and out.

And in that vein, it twisted itsself deeper into the splintered mind it was currently residing in. Pressing its senses out, the Light curled around the fervent dream the mind clung to, carefully pulling back the layers of inhibitions that kept the human from going after it. Little by little, the Light trickled in, twisting the dream around to suit its own ends.

And at the dinner table, under his sister's worried eye, Sartorius Nevin bit the inside of his cheek and tried not to cry out in pain.

Flashes past through his vision, things he knew he'd never seen before flying past his eyes as Sarina faded into the background.

There was a shining white palace, it's pillars gleaming in the sunlight.

And the sun, setting over water, under the watchful eye of the lighthouse on the pier.

And there was the moon, shining overhead, distant and lovely, hanging in the star spattered sky.

And then a figure in tattered robes, shivering in the frigid rain.

A lioness, stalking in the high, gold grasses, her tawny eyes trained on her prey.

A marionette dancing on strings, its face painted up in a frown and big, blue tears.

And finally, a column of silvery light, blazing a glorious trail through the starless sky, exploding upwards from a turbulent sea.

And in the shadow cast by the column of light, a dark blue cat, almost black and nearly invisible in the shade, darted about, hissing angrily when the waters lapped up at its paws and kept it from reaching the light.

Sartorius' eyes widened as something inside him surged to life at the image of the column, and the last thing he saw before blissful unconsciousness took him from the pounding in his head was the eyes of the cat glowing in the shadows as it slunk away.

* * *

Jaden Yuki sat up, his back ramrod straight, in bed.

His eyes blinked at the darkness around him, his senses still not adjusted to the lack of light in the room. The curtains over the window were drawn, and the only lamp in the room was still turned off. Jaden was still for a few more instants, breathing deeply and trying to recapture the scattered fragments of his dream.

Shafts of light and terrible eyes that knew all and a vicious, cruel laughter that echoed on through the eerie silence and...

Jaden shook his head, clearing the images from his mind.

" No point in worrying about it now." He whispered to himself. From somewhere above him, Syrus shifted, mumbling lightly in his sleep. Jaden let a soft grin grace his features as he slowly pulled himself up out of his own bed, yawning, and trying his best to keep quiet. Despite the cracking of his bones as they realigned after the first night in a slightly unfamiliar bed, and the disgruntled grumbles of the boy above him, the noise didn't quite cover up the fact that there was a distinct silence in the room. There was a very noticeable lack of loud snores, which, all last year, had come drifting down from the top bunk. Jaden sighed, wincing as it seemed to echo, and got out of bed, one foot at a time.

' _Being back here_,' he thought as he got dressed, casting a glance at Syrus to ensure the younger boy was still asleep, ' _it's not like I don't love it. Because I do. I love Duel Academy, and I love my friends, and I love being here with them. It's just..._'

Jaden slipped out, closing the door behind him, and tried to smile as the sun peeked over the horizon, the brilliant light making the ocean sparkle. Jaden flinched and brought his arm up to shield his eyes, even as the sunlight began to bathe the cliffs in warm light.

" ...I didn't have nightmares all summer." He frowned. " No weird dreams at all, until I got back here."

Jaden sighed again, reaching down to pull out his deck. He shuffled through the cards absentmindedly, smiling as the familiar feel of them in his hands soothed his nerves. He stopped after a few minutes, reaching down to pluck the top card off the deck and turn it over.

Winged Kuriboh looked back at him.

" Hey, partner." He whispered.

There was a flash of light, and then the ghostly image of his duel spirit popped into existence. With a shake of its furry little body, the Winged Kuriboh gave an encouraging coo and then darted off towards the beach below, fluttering its pale wings rapidly.

" Hey! Wait a sec!" Jaden took off after the monster. " Slow down, buddy!" He ran over to the steps leading down the cliffside to the rocky beach. From the angle he was at, Jaden could just make out the outline of Winged Kuriboh as it hovered over the water, flicking at it with its tiny claws. Grinning at the prospect of spending time with this monster without having people give him weird looks for talking to thin air. Jaden ran down the steps.

" Hey, buddy!" He waved to his partner. " Wait up!" Winged Kuriboh turned to face him, its large purple eyes scrunching up in what Jaden assumed was a smile.

" Kuri." It tilted one wing towards the now half risen sun.

Jaden breathe din deeply, taking in the scent of ocean.

" Yeah, you're right, this is nice." He stretched his arms out. " No duels, no souls on the line, no worries. I wish..." Jaden trailed off, staring distantly out to the bright horizon.

" I wish it could be like this for a bit longer."

Kuriboh flutter to his side, nuzzling against his head as Jaden felt his spirits drop once again.

" It's just...I can't help but feel that things are gonna be just like they were last year." He flinched, fighting off the painful memory. " Maybe even worse."

Winged Kuriboh cooed worriedly and came to rest on his shoulder.

" What if...what if I'm not strong enough? What if whatever happens this year is too much for me?" He reached up, curling a hand in his duel spirit's fur, warmed by the sun. " What if...I...lose..."

_And then the moon was Syrus, being washed away out to sea, screaming and pleading, his hand outstretched and his eyes wide with terror._

_The burning squeezed his throat shut._

_The stuff slid over his mouth, covering it, choking off his air. Another, thick strand, so heavy he could actually __feel__ it settling on his face, clamped down on his eyes, molding itself onto his skin, forcing him to remain blind._

Jaden's hands flew to his throat, massaging it and gasping for air. His spirit flew frantically around his head, rubbing and cooing and trying to get Jaden's attention away from his aweful memories. Jaden gasped for breath, feeling sick ad cold, his vision blurring as he tried to force the images of his trip to the hiding place of the Sacred Beasts from his mind. Winged Kuriboh pressed its small, furry body against the side of his head, cooing and whining. With a trembling hand, Jaden reached up to gently stroke the slightly see-through, but very real (to him, at least. And, if he'd been there, to Chazz Princeto as well, although Jaden was willing to bet his entire semester supply of shrimp that the boy would deny it, if only to get o Jaden's nerves. And Jaden Yuki was not a boy who parted easily with his food, let alone his favourite one) spirit, feeling the coarse strands slip through his fingers. Slowly, as his spirit nuzzled his cheek lovingly, Jaden felt the darkness that had been dancing at the edge of his vision fade away.

" I think..." he panted, feeling thoroughly spent, " ...I think I'm okay now. I'm good." The Kuriboh gave another worried coo, pushing against his partner's cheek. " I'm okay now buddy, I promise." Jaden softly scratched behind where he assumed the spirit's ears were, and smiled when the creature gave what could only be described as a purr.

Jaden sighed softly as he turned his sight back to the horizon, where the sun had crept up over the water was beginning its climb across the sky. The water burned blue beneath it, and Jaden sucked in a breath of salty, crisp air, the chill of the lingering gray dawn seeping in through his thin, red jacket.

" Chilly." Jaden rubbed his arms. " Still don't get how an island in the tropics can be so cold first thing in the morning." He checked his watch, and paled at the time. " God, I haven't been up at this time since..." He paused, frowning. He stood there, puzzling in the still early morning light, tapping his foot impatiently when the answer didn't present itself. Winged Kuriboh hovered by his shoulder, its large eyes inquistive. Or that might've just been the rising sun reflecting off those enormous orbs, Jaden could never be sure.

Finally, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

" You know, I don't think I've _ever_ been up this early in my life. Ever." He stared at the waves for a second, before perking up. " Speaking of early..."

Jaden reached down into his pocket, fumbling around for a second before he pulled out a sleek, silver cellphone with pictures of his monsters spattered across the body. With a flick of his wrist, he had the phone open, and was fiddling around with it as Winged Kuriboh darted aout, bored and restless now that Jaden's emotioal state had stablized to it's normal range (that was, not likely to burst out into uncontrollable tears, or curl up into a ball and mutter half incoherent lines about the dangers of crypts and beasts and evil, especially the last one. Jaden had had several break downs over the vacation, and both he and his duel spirit could only thank whatever god may be listening that his parents had been absent for most of his time off).

Jaden's face lit up when the screen displayed a message telling him he'd missed three texts and one call. With a twitch of his thumb, the first message was open for his viewing pleasure.

_**there is no god. i have decided this, and it'd be best not to question me, seeing as how it is two in the morning, and i got about three hours of sleep.**_

_**-Lia**_

Jaden laughed, shaking his head and thanking god that the Duelists were always schedueled to arrive a day earlier, and were able to sleep off their jet lag. The Academics (Read: Lia Shanner), on the other hand, always had their flights chartered later, so as not to over flood the airports, and were usually cranky and snappish for the first few days until their internal clocks realigned to the new systems their bodies were forced to defer to. And as a grumpy Chazz had pointed out not too long before their departure for the summer, Regular Lia was bad enough. A sleep-deprieved, jet-lagged, cranky Lia was just asking for some freshman's head to be figuratively snapped off by her tongue. Jaden, Syrus, and Alexis were willing to bet that, given the proper motivation, Lia might do it _literally_.

Jaden scrolled to find the next message.

_**who, who the fucking hell, i ask you, decided that you had to arrive x-amount of hours EARLY to an international flight? it's cruel and unusual and lines are the work of the devil!**_

_**kill me, please.**_

Jaden smirked at the message, almost able to hear the words being spat at him, and pictured a dark brown-haired girl with her legs set, her fists clenched, and her hazel eyes almost sparking. Then he glanced at the time the text had been sent and winced in sympathy. Still flinching slightly at the thought of being up at such ungodly hours, Jaden found the third text.

_**airlines are evil, the guards at security are all bastards, and have i mentioned how fucking much airline food sucks? oh, you're traveling overseas? here, have a croissant, some coffee and the new, crappy tween movie. oh, and guess what? they made another Camp Rock. kill me. just, shoot me when you see me at school. i'll write you a note, and you won't go to prison.**_

_**Lia.**_

Jaden shook his head, a fond smile on his face, and made to close the phone. Winged Kuriboh fluttered to his side frantically, gesturing one clawed leg at the screen of his cellphone. Jaden looked down, confused.

" What is it, buddy?" He asked, staring at the screen. Then he blinked, and realization dawned on his face. " Oh yeah, the call!"

Quickly, he pressed a few buttons and put the phone to his ear. In a few seconds, there was a muted clicked, and a sleepy, throaty voice came whispering through the earpiece.

" '_ey, chéri, eet's me. Ah am un zee plane right now. Ah 'ave nut slept in nearly dix...oh, merde...t-ten? Oui, ten 'ours. Ah am cumpletely ex'austed, and zee flight ees anuzzer huit ou neuf ou dix...desolé, eight or nine or maybe ten 'ours. Ah am going t' be a real bish when Ah land, so 'ead's ap, bien? Je te v-Ah mean, Ah will see y' soon, Shaydon. Aurevoir."_

The line clicked off, and Jaden pulled the phone away, his face scrunched up as he tried to figure out what, exactly, Lia had been saying through her thickened French accent. With all the rolling 'r's and missing 'h's and strange pronunciantion, Jaden felt like he had the first time he'd heard the girl speak. He'd been completely thrown by the way she'd said certain words, and while Lia made an almost unconcious effort to get rid of her accent when fully awake (she'd obtained her American accent from spending many summers with her American father's parents), when she was surprised or preoccupied or very tired, her accent slipped back in, sometimes so thick she'd have to repeat herself just to be understood. Lia herself found it quite embarrassing, but, as Atticus had put it the first time she'd slipped in front of the older boy, it was actually a pretty cute trait, and Jaden thought it only added to her tsundere character.

Then he blinked, slightly worried that he was assigning anime character traits and descriptions to his friends.

" This is what I get for watching that mecha marathon a week before coming here." He shook his head to clear it. " That's it. From now on, I am cutting down on the anime. It rots my brain." He clenched his fist in a display of determination, Winged Kuriboh silently cheering at his side. " Ninmu ryokai!"

And then froze.

" Ah, damnit!"

He grabbed at his hair, muttering darkly under his breath in his native language. Winged Kuriboh, bored and realizing that Jaden's sudden about of strange behaviour wasn't created by the return of painful and tramautzing memories (Jaden would've argued that point, had he been paying attention to anything other than the fact that he was randomly spewing out chatch phrases for suicidal perfect soldiers with large weapons of mass destruction at their finger tips and a certain political figure to protect), vanished in a rain of sparkles, returning to the deck Jaden had stashed back in his deck protector.

" Outta my head, get out!" Jaden whacked the side of his head, hissing the commands through gritted teeth. " Stupid gundams and their stupid plot lines and their stupid characters with their stupid catch phrases and stupid, awesome explosions." He abruptly righted himself. " Well, there's only one way to solve this." He turned back towards the Red Dorm. " I'm gonna have to drown it out with shoujo." He grimaced. Sparkly, pink shoujo, where every problem could be solved if only the stupid bimbo just _told_ the oblivious dumbass that she liked him. But no, there had to be long, complex plans about when and how to do it, and then something always went wrong, and a rival showed up and there was confusion and pain and a whole bunch of other stuff that could've been so easily **avoided**.

Jaden twitched as though in pain.

" Akimi-chan, wherever you are, you had better appreciate this." He muttered as he started back up the stairs towards his dorm room. In his mind, a dark haired girl in a blue sailor uniform laughed evilly, surrounded by raging flames, her face shadowed save for the wicked gleam in her green eyes. Jaden shuddered again.

" Crazy otaku."

Stumbling slightly as a feeling of dread settled on his shoulders (dear _God_, could she actually read his thoughts for such a distance? After a set of frighteningly accurate guesses about what was going through his mind about three days before his middle school graduation, Jaden had decided that his somewhat eccentric friend – she kept a trio of geckos in her room- was probably a telepath), Jaden hopped up the last few steps and sighed.

" Stupid Akimi-chan and her stupid anime and-" he paused. " I'm doing it again, aren't I?"

There was a slight buzz from his deck, which the boy took to be a yes.

" 'S not my fault." He insisted. " I've got no one to talk to."

Another buzzing noise, this time slightly irritated sounding, and there was a sharp prod at his leg.

" Okay, okay, I'm sorry! I meant, I've got no people to talk to." Another prod. " Okay jeez! No _human_ people,alright? Satisfied?"

There was a low, contented noise from his deck protector, and Jaden took a cautious step forward, tensing in preparation for another stab of pain. When none came, he relaxed.

" So, we're good now?" There was silence. " I choose to take that as a yes."

" Excuse me."

Jaden let out a yelp, jumping at least a meter in the air as an unfamiliar voice rang out somewhere off to his left. Scrambling for footing, he waved his arms around frantically, too worried about tumbling right back down the stairs he'd just climbed to care that he looked ridiculous. When his equilibrium finally returned to normal, and his feet found secure footing, he became suddenly aware of how stupid he looked, and his arms snapped down to his sides.

With a red face, Jaden turned to meet the owner of the voice.

Before him stood a boy who looked like he couldn't be much older than Jaden himself. Dressed to the nines in an expensive-looking suit, well-polished shoes, and a white and blue silk tie, he would've certainly stood out in a crowd of students all wearing their Duel Academy regulation jackets. He would've even stood out from the usual sea of blue, yellow, and red. His entire ensemble seemed to consist of cooler colours, from the pale grey of his suit to the black collared shirt Jaden could make out underneath it.

But what really made him stand out was the way he stood, his legs spread apart just enough to help him hold his ground should this meeting take a turn for the worse. His arms hung politely at his sides, almost a reflection of Jaden's own stance, but there was something about the other boy that put Jaden on edge. The air of confidence that oozed off him was almost overpowering. While he was standing casually, a small smirk on his face (no doubt amused by Jaden's lack of elegance and finesse), and the look on his face one of openness, every pore on his body seemed to give off the feeling of superiority, as though jsut by standing where he was, the boy was somehow better than everyone in the immediate vicinity. And that included Jaden.

Still, Jaden was never one to judge people so quickly. A childhood of strange occurences that left him rather lonely had taught him a lesson it took most teenagers years to have drilled into their heads. Jaden only made judgements in one place, and that was a duel. He watched how people treated their monsters, how they used their cards, whether or not they paid their respects to the creatures who were sacrificed in order to win the duel. He'd meant those furious words he'd shouted at Chazz in the heat of their desperate duel the year before. He'd meant it when he'd said he was getting revenge for his pointlessly lost monsters. Jaden believed, with all his heart, that the only place he was free to judge other was in a duel, where their true intentions came to light (of course, by that logic, he would never be able to judge Lia as a person, given that she didn't know a trap card from defense mode, but Jaden figured it was alright to judge her on other things. The way she looked at the monsters in play, for instance, her eyes wide with awe and her entire attention fixated on the flashing lights reflected in the duelist's eyes when they got just the right card. It was alright to judge her by the snapshots of the duel she showed them all later, the pivotal moments captured on film and given new life under Lia's expert camera-handling abilities. There was a beauty to it, and it made Jaden very proud to see that even though she couldn't understand what was going on or who was winning or how, Lia still seemed to have the instinct of duelist. Her pictures were always of the most moving moments of the duel, whether she realized it or not).

So, as it was, Jaden suspended that train of thought about the other boy, put his best smile on his face, and tried to be friendly.

" Hey, sorry, didn't see you there." That much, Jaden thought was fairly obvious. " Did you need something?"

The boy smiled slightly, but there was something very insincere about it, and Jaden squashed the tiny part of him that wanted to sneer right back at the newcomer.

" You wouldn't happen to know Jaden Yuki, would you?" At least the guy didn't sound like a total sleaze. There was a touch of condensation in his tone, but it was nothing Jaden hadn't heard before from older boys with their chest puffed out to show off their blue uniforms, so he let it go.

" I might." Okay, maybe not totally let it go. There was just something off about the boy in front of him, and it set ever nerve Jaden had (that was, the many he had developed over his first year at Duel Academy, where danger just seemed to be _drawn_ to him) rattling off alarms.

The boy's grin only grew, and Jaden felt his hackles rise at the sight.

" Could you tell him that I want to duel him?"

* * *

He-llo everyone! And how are you this fine evening? I promised you, didn't I? A little later than expected, I admit it, but better late than never, right?

Lia: Are you going to start complaining about how writer's block is what made you neglect this story for so long?

Eh! Lia-baby! God, I've miss you so much!

Lia: What the hell? Get off me, crazy woman!

Ah, you're just as much of a bitch as you were last year! So, how's everybody been? Happy to see me again, I hope. Here it is, Year Two, like I promised. I'm currently working on Chapter 40 right now, so,w ith any luck, I'll actually be finished this Year by the end of the month. Provided unexpected plot twists don't pop up. They do that at the worst possible moment, and I have to rework something later on in the story to accomidate them. It's actually really rude.

Lia: Your mind came up with them!

I can't control what I write! Some days, it just writes itself. Oh, just you wait lovelies! I've got angsty Atticus and Creepy Chazz and Kickass Syrus. I've got a whole helping of plot twists and red herrings and things you couldn't have seen coming a mile away! I'll update tomorrow and Sunday too, and then we're back to that once a week thing I'm so fond of.

Lia: Think you'll actually be able to do it this time round?

I'll do my best. Oh, you have no idea how much I've missed this story. I had to get through my first year of university (unscathed and totally ready for next year, whooo!), and then I literally could not get the first chapter off the ground. I got about as far as Sartorius' visions, and then I just couldn't figure out how to keep it going. Eventually, I forced myself to sit down and write, regardless of how it came out, and the story started to flow. And I've been at it on and off again ever since. I really do have a love hate relationship with this story. But right now, I'm too excited to be posting again to care!

Well, leave me a review, if only to tell me that my writing has gone down hill and that I suck, okay?

Oh, and ninmu ryokai? That's Heero Yuy's catchphrase in the Japanese verson of Gundam Wing. Don't own that either. It means something like 'Mission accepted', I think. And also, I don't own Camp Rock. Oh woe is me. I watched it once out of boredom. Disney has a very skewed idea of what summer camp is like, in my opinion.

See you all tomorrow.

MoS


	3. Functioning Friendships

Warnis: Chazz is Chazz, Atticus is Atticus, and Jaden is in a bit of a bad mood. Enjoy that.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

Crap, I forgot to do the title thing last chapter! That's what I get for posting when I'm half asleep.

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

Lia stepped out onto the dock, took a deep breath of the salty wind, and fought the urge to go tearing out of the humidity and back into the cool, air conditioned safety of the helicopter behind her. Against the backdrop of endless blue sea and clear, equally-blue skies, white clouds drifting lazily overhead and the sun beating down, it made a tempting vision. Her carry-on dug into her shoulder as the girl tightened her grip, biting her lower lip in the process. She could save herself so much effort and pain and _running_ if she just turned around and walked back onto that helicopter...

" _I'm staying."_

The memory of a windswept clearing, dark clouds gathered in the sky and three vicious monsters staring her down rose up before her. Atticus Rhodes, his face grim and his eyes dark, was looking at her like she'd grown a second head. Alexis' pretty face was slack with surprise and of the trio before her, only Chazz seemed completely ready to accept what she was saying. The Beasts gave a terrifying roar somewhere over her head, but the only thing that filled her was the stubborn pride that had led her there in the first place, and a strange sense of duty that had her digging in her heels and glaring right back at Atticus' presumption that she was meant to be anywhere but by her friends' side.

Shaking her head and pushing the vision of that day to the corner of her mind, Lia hefted the strap of her carry-on back onto her shoulder, and walked further down the dock. Behind her, she could hear the engines of the helicopter start and the whirring noise of its blades filled the air. A small smile light up her face, and she picked up her pace, heading for the piles of luggage deposited closer to where the stone docks met the sandy beaches of the island. Beyond those, the reddish cliffs rose up, and Lia's fingers itched to grab the camera that was slung around her neck. The cliffs reflected the bright sunlight, and Lia had to bring her hand up to shield her eyes.

There was a ring of green at the top of the cliffs, and Lia twitched as she remembered exactly where that particular line of trees led. Part of her wondered if Tanya's stony structure still stood, but most of her pushed the memory away almost as fast as it had appeared, the sight of Bastian's love sick eyes and flushed face wrecking havoc on her still jealously guarded heart. There were some things she still wasn't ready to open herself up to, and experience in that particular area had taught her that it was going to be painful, no matter what she did.

Forcing the depressing thoughts from her head, Lia looked up, craning her neck back so she could see past the trees. There, gleaming white in the sunlight, its three differently coloured domes shining as though they were brand new (and Lia was willing to bet that Monsieur Kaiba paid a pretty penny for maintenance), was her home for the next eight months.

A strange kind of anxiousness exploded in her gut as the French girl looked up at Duel Academy. The usual sadness at summer vacations being over seemed to evaporate as she stared at the school. A sense of excitement settled into her, the tedious, easy-going life she'd lived for two months vanishing into the warm air around her. She was back to epic duels and snarky Duelists and stupid, charming brunets that went out of their way to make her feel welcome and whole. She was back to snobby people in blue coats and slacking reds and a classroom right across from her teaching kids the proper way to use field spells. She was back to laughing with Alexis and sitting quietly with Syrus and laughing at whatever insane, stupid thing Atticus had come up with this time around.

She was back.

Lia beamed, and walked forward, her eyes darting over the luggage piles as she tried to locate hers.

" Next time, Maman, I'M buying the luggage." She muttered, after grabbing the third bag that looked like hers but actually wasn't. Her mother had insisted that a new set of luggage would do her good, but all it was getting her was a headache and serious confusion. She reached into the pile again, muttering unflattering things in French the entire way.

Another two rolling suitcases and three backpacks later, Lia struggled to get away from the dwindling pile, her arms filled with her messenger bag and her three new suitcases (only two of which had wheels on them) sitting at her feet, just waiting to be dragged off towards her dorm room. Of course, there was the matter of hauling them across the beach to the lift up the cliff, and then she'd have to go to the Housing section of the Student Life building, sign in, get her key, sign her Room Agreement, and a whole stack of legal papers. And _then_, once her hand cramped up from all the signatures she'd have to give, she'd have to lug all her stuff back to the room she'd been in the year before, and at the moment, just getting to the lift seemed like a challenge.

" Merde." She swore, fumbling with her bags, the messenger bag falling out of her grasp just as her carry-on slipped off her shoulder.

" Looks like you could use a little help."

Lia turned abruptly, a smile beginning to form on her face as she did so. Before her, dressed in his long white Obelisk jacket, brown hair tousled enough to be attractive messy without looking unkempt, and roguish grin already in place, was Atticus Rhodes.

There was a beat of silence, in which the two just stared at each other. And then Lia dropped all the bags she'd fought so hard to hold onto and flung herself at the older boy. Atticus caught her, swinging her round and smiling as Lia's arms encircled his neck and gave him a slight squeeze.

" Atticus!" She breathed happily. He smiled into the top of her head.

" Hey Kitten. How was your summer."

She pulled back.

" What did you just call me?"

" Get used to it, Kitten."

" Quit it!"

" No way in hell." Atticus grinned at her. " It suits you way too much."

" And now, pray tell, does it suit me at all?" She stamped her foot and glowered.

" You're just so cute." Atticus cooed, reaching forward to ruffle her hair. And promptly jumped back as Lia trounced on his foot. " Ouch!" He rubbed the bruised appendage gingerly. " Nice to see that you haven't lost any of your...spirit."

" I prefer bitchyness, if it's all the same to you."

" Don't call yourself a bitch." Atticus winced as he lowered his foot to the ground. " You're not a-" Lia gave him a look. " Okay, maybe you are a bit of a bitch. Sometimes."

"A bit? _Sometimes_?" Lia snorted. " I think I should be insulted."

Atticus rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

" Only you, Kitten." She glared at him. " You're just so gosh darn cute."

A hard cover book smacked him in the face, and Atticus backpedalled, biting back curses.

" Comment respectfully withdrawn."

" Yeah, that's what I thought." She pointed at her bags. " You gonna help me or not?"

" Spirited a_nd_ pushy." Atticus' look would've been a leer is he'd been anyone but Atticus Rhodes, and she'd been anyone but Lia Shanner (or his sister. But that was a given). He scooped up the suitcase without the wheel. " You're my type 'o girl, sweetheart."

" Save for someone who cares, smartass." Lia gave him a shove, and hoisted her carry-on up to her shoulder. With each hand, she grabbed one of her wheeled suitcases and started towards the lift.

" You don't care?" Atticus pretended to look devastated. " That breaks my heart, Kitten."

" You'll heal."

" Your faith in me is so uplifting."

" Whatever you say, Romeo."

" Romeo had no taste for subtlety, or grace. He went in there with no plan. He was lucky Juliet was so easy or else he never would've gotten up on that balcony, let alone into her bed."

" And with that lovely analysis of what is usually claimed to be one of the greatest romances of all time, I'm going to get on this lift and try to forget that I know you."

" I still have your clothes."

" You still have my DVD's and photography supplies."

" Even better. You like these more than you like your clothes."

" ...Okay, point to you."

" Score!"

" Please don't jump. You're making the lift bounce."

" What are you talking about? There isn't an ounce of excess fat on this body. See for yourself."

" Please stop posing. I'm embarrassed enough as it is to be seen in public with you."

" Embarrassed? To be seen with _moi_? Kitten-sweetie, I think we need to have you looked at. I can name at least fifteen girls off the top of my head who would _love_ to spend time with yours truly."

" Well, thank god I'm one of those rare teenaged girls who have a brain."

" And I find that _very _attractive."

" Atticus?"

" Yes, Kitten-sweetie?"

" One, stop saying that, or I'll throw you off this lift."

" And two?"

" Are you v_ery_ attached to that foot of yours?"

" Somewhat, yes."

" Then I suggest you shut your mouth and keep it shut."

" ...You're so cruel."

" Thank you."

" How am I ever going to find you a boyfriend if you're just going to snap at any guy I bring around to meet you?"

" I don't want a boyfriend. And wouldn't you just flirt with them?"

" Only if they were hot. And over 18. I like older men."

" And I need to know this, _why_ exactly?"

" So when we double date, you won't be surprised when I turn up with some gorgeous university student on my arm. Or maybe I'll be on his arm. I don't know yet."

" What the hell makes you think you and I are gonna double date?"

" Think about it, Kitten. Three gorgeous guys, and you get to sit at a table with all of us."

" Atticus, you're bi, and you'd be there with another guy who would either have to also be bi, or gay."

" Yeah, but you'd still get to look at us through dinner and dessert."

" I'd be too busy looking at the wine menu."

" You're too young to drink.

" Not in France I'm not."

" What is the French drinking age?"

" I don't think we have one."

" You're telling me you're 14 and getting drunk?"

" Fifteen."

" Huh?"

" I'm fifteen, Atticus. My birthday was three weeks ago."

" Really? Well, happy birthday then! Crap, I didn't get you anything!"

" No, really, that's fine."

" No, I shoulda gotten you something."

" Lexi put your name on the digital camera as well, so it's fine."

" Not the same thing Kitten. Oh, hey, I got it!"

" What are you doing no-!"

As the lift came to a stop at the top of the cliff, Lia gave Atticus a forceful shove, causing him to topple off onto the ground. She stooped down to grab her luggage and marched off, purposely stepping on him as she did so. Her face, bright red, was obscured by her curly, brown bangs.

" Pervers." She hissed. Atticus lay on the ground, rubbing his abused tailbone.

" Ah, c'mon Kitten. It was just a joke." He called after her as the girl stormed towards the Student Life building. " I wasn't really gonna kiss you!"

" Secousse!" She yelled, and yanked the door of the building open, leaving Atticus to haul up her last suitcase and chase after her.

" I speak French, Lia! I can understand you!"

There was no answer down the brightly lit hallway, but he saw her brown head moving steadily towards the Housing Section, and took off after her, smiling slightly when he caught up to her and saw that, while her face had cooled, her cheeks were still dusted with pink.

About 45 minutes and countless signatures later, Lia had her room key hanging from the chain of a necklace she'd produced from under the neckline of both her black top and the green tank top she had on over it, and Atticus was carrying not only her wheel less suitcase, but her carry-on and messenger bag as well. Atticus had been about to question her choice of layered clothing (on a tropical island, that was basically inviting a heat stroke), but she'd shown him her necklace, and those thoughts had vanished. Because on the end of the chain, its point gleaming dangerously in the artificial lighting, was the stone Yasmin had given to Lia right before the Gravekeeper had died. It had been cleaner than the last time he'd seen it, (when Lia frantically tried to give it to him as a reminder of his lover, tears streaming down her face the entire time) but there was no mistaking the strange markings (similar to the one he knew to be just beneath Lia's collarbone) or the wicked point the stone tampered down to . The sight of it had stolen his breath for a moment, and Lia had tucked the chain and its contents under an almost sheer shirt again, seeming to sigh in relief as the stone was once again hidden from sight.

As it was, Lia was walking ahead of him, heading towards the Yellow Dorms, when an explosion of light and sound from the part of the beach the Red Dorm overlooked. The girl's head shot up, and the handle of her second rolling suitcase dropped from her hand. Her other, previously unoccupied hand flew to chest, pressing against the fabric of both her shirts as a brief grimace crossed her face.

" Lia?" Atticus was at her side in an instant, all traces of teasing and flirting gone. The younger girl shook her head, fist clenching in her tank top as her brows furrowed.

" Does it hurt?' He asked, gently brushing the whitening knuckles of her fist. Lia shifted uncomfortably, still staring at where she knew the Red Dorm was.

" No it's...well, I guess eet ees." Her accent thickened as she started forward. " Allons-y."

Atticus raised a brow, but followed her.

"You're right, Kitten. Jay might need us."

* * *

Jaden grit his teeth and mentally counted to ten in Japanese, then English. The boy across from him, still grinning cockily, raised his brow at the insinuation Jaden had tried to make.

" Let me get this straight." The boy began, speaking slowly as though he as explaining a math problem to a group of first graders. " You want me to sit down and have a chat with my cards? As in, talk to them like I expect them to answer me back." Jaden felt his fist clench at the tone his opponent was using.

" You seem to be missing the point of what I was saying..." He trailed off, breathing hard, as the boy across from him tried (and failed horribly) to cover up a snort with a cough.

" Hey jackass!" A furious voice sounded from above. Jaden looked up to see Chazz, grey eyes ablaze and face flushed with anger, glaring down at the boy in suit. " Here's a bright idea. Shut your fucking mouth and listen to what the moron is saying!"

Beside him, both Alexis and Syrus sweat dropped heavily.

" It kinda defeats the purpose of your defending him if you call him a moron while doing it." Alexis muttered under her breath. Syrus nodded beside her. Chazz ignored them both and ploughed ahead, his teeth grit together and his fist clenched at his side.

" If you seriously expect me to believe that my cards are gonna talk back to me..." The younger boy trailed off, shaking his head as though the very thought was enough to make him laugh. His shoulders shook and from where he stood, Jaden could see the way his opponent was biting his lower lip in order to keep from bursting out into hysterical chuckles. The sight of it was enough to make red bleed into Jaden's vision at the edges. He'd reserved his judgement as best as he could, but mocking the spirits of the monsters he used (which Jaden could all but s_ee_ floating behind him) was severely crossing a line that, as far as Jaden was concerned, should never be crossed. The spirits that lived in the cards were as real and living as himself or his opponent, and to treat them as little more than pets or, worse, inanimate objects, was barely above a crime for Jaden. He'd always respected and loved his cards, even from the time he'd been a little kid, and unable to understand what the half-heard whispers that came from his deck in the dead of night was saying. There were living things, inside those cards, and they were Jaden's friends. Sometimes, when his latest babysitter was laid up in hospital in a coma, after dueling him and winning, they were his only friends.

And while he'd gained some new, human ones in his first year at Duel Academy, his first, truest ones remained the monsters in his deck, and Jaden was more than willing to walk through fire to protect them.

And that included from the likes of his opponent; just another jerk with a duel disk, mocking the creatures who fought for him.

" Look, _pal_," and the tone in Jaden's voice was very clear that the boy was anything but his friend, " I don't care if you're using the deck you've had since you were six, or something you just threw together fifteen minutes ago. Respect your cards, respect your monsters, and don't you ever start treating them like tools. First rule of the game!"

His opponent just shrugged.

" That sounds like an excuse from someone who doesn't know how to use his cards right." There was a slight smirk on the boy's face. " But then again, this is _Jaden Yuki_ I'm talking to, so that can't be it."

" Was he just making fun of Jay?" Syrus sounded angry.

" That's what I got from it." Alexis didn't sound too happy either.

" Damnit Slacker!" And there was Chazz, sounding like he wanted to jump down and mangle the freshman himself. " Don't just take that from a punk like this! Kick his ass!"

" Thank you, Chazz." Jaden muttered to himself, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. As much as he appreciated Chazz's enthusiasm and encouragement (which were a far cry from the hateful words he'd spat at the Slifer during their duel the previous year; it was a testament to the lengths Chazz made managed to come – that angry, half crazed boy who'd tried to choke him in the Abandoned Dorm was little more than a faded, unpleasant memory), all he wanted to do was waltzed over to his opponent's side of the field and bash that smug little smile off his face with a well aimed fist. And Chazz's 'cheering' was making the urge very hard to squash down.

" Didn't you wonder why I wanted to duel with you, Jaden?" The boy shifted, his monster hovering listlessly in front of him.

" You were bored and in need of cheap entertainment?" Jaden snapped before he could stop himself. A year in Lia's company had apparently rubbed off on him more than he'd realized. But then, he'd slept badly for the past two nights, and there was a serious build up of tension slowly starting to push his usually cheerful demeanour into a more prickish zone. He vaguely wondered if this was how Chazz felt nine hours out of every twelve.

" It's destiny." Jaden balked at that. He'd spent a great deal of time in the company of giggling teenaged girls, and it was his experience that whenever the word 'destiny' came up, bad things were to follow.

" I mean think about it." The freshman continued, oblivious to Jaden's growing horror. " Everything that has ever happened to us, or will ever happen to us, has been planned out since the day we were born. There's absolutely no escaping it. Losers are born to be losers and legends-"

" Yeah, yeah." Jaden waved his comments off. " Dropouts are dropouts no matter what they do, destiny is unchangeable, blah, blah, blah. Lay off the **Naruto**, will ya?"

" Huh?"

" You sound like Hyuuga Neji."

" What are you talking about? Hyuuga who?"

" Never mind." Jaden shook his head. " The point is, quit trying to tell me how things are gonna turn out. No one knows how the cookie will crumble until it does. So chill out and enjoy the duel, would ya?"

" Oh, but I am enjoying myself, Jaden." His grin was so insincere it almost hurt Jaden's own face just looking at it. " I haven't been this entertained in a long time."

" Jerk." He heard Alexis mutter, and glanced up at her sympathetically. At the top of the cliff, his three friends were gathered, Miss Dorothy off to the side, crouching and holding Pharaoh the cat tightly to her chest. Above Chazz's dark head, the Ojama Brothers darted about, squeakily protesting the smug grins and calloused comments of Jaden's opponent will the finesse and grace of angry second-graders, if their juvenile insults were anything to go by. Syrus had lowered himself into a crossed legged position, one elbow propped up in his knee, his face resting in his palm. There was no frantic air around, as though he was completely sure of Jaden's victory. And of course, given the Slifer's history in duels, Jaden supposed the confidence in him was almost second nature to Syrus by now. And then there was Alexis, still upright, her fists clenched and an expression of anger on her face. She was glaring down at the freshman with more intensity than Jaden had expected, as if she'd taken all his comments about monsters and spirits as a personal insult rather than the usual trash talk Jaden was getting used to receiving when he brought up duel spirits. Jaden supposed she might just be getting riled up because he was her friend and he was being insulted, but there was something deeper in her eyes, some rage that told him that to her, it _was_ an assault on a personal front and she was ready to rain hell down on the bastard who'd made the comment.

And then Cyber Tutu shimmered into being at Alexis' side, and everything made sense.

Of course, Jaden didn't have time to dwell on the fact that somehow, somewhere along the road, Alexis had gotten a duel spirit of her own, because his opponent was on the move, and if there was only one thing Jaden Yuki was sure of, it was that he sure as hell wasn't going to lose on his first day.

Winning wasn't hard, but it wasn't very satisfying either. There was something about the way the boy had played, something about his cards, about his moves, that rang ugly and false, and made Jaden want to grimace. That hadn't been a real duel.

As the boy started to walk away, back up the cliff, something in the corner of Jaden's eye made him turn. Darting along the path towards the Slifer Red Dorm, their hair streaming out behind them, were Lia and Atticus. A bright smile light up the Slifer's face as he started up the path too, jumping two at a time. He caught up to the freshman, still grinning like mad.

" You gotta catch a train, or something?"

Jaden blinked, and looked down to see that he'd made it almost all the way up the stairs in record time. Flushing, he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

" I just...ah, I just saw some of my friends. I haven't really seen them all summer, and well..." He trailed off, looking up to where Lia had skidded to a stop, and was leaning forward, hands on her knees and breathing hard. Alexis had turned to her and was smiling brightly, while Syrus beamed. Chazz huffed and looked away, scowling as he almost did. Jaden felt the happiness at being with his friends again press at his chest until he was half sure his ribs would burst with the feeling. With a parting smile to the newbie, he darted up the rest of the way and ran forward, tackling Lia into a hug.

" Koneko-chan!" He picked her up and swung her around, laughing as she began to protest. Loudly.

" Jaden Yuki, you put me down this instant!" She squirmed. " This isn't funny! Put me _down_! And s_top_ calling me that!"

" Same old Lia." Alexis smiled as Jaden carefully lowered the younger to her feet. Lia stumbled for a second, then gained her footing, and smacked Jaden in the back of the head, snarling at him in French. Alexis winced.

" She say something bad?" Syrus asked, grinning as Atticus launched himself at the two, and hooked his arms around their shoulders.

" Oh yeah." Alexis smirked. Lia jabbed Atticus with her elbow and ducked out from under his arm, heading over to the relative safety of Alexis' company.

" Imbecile fou." She muttered. Alexis grinned, and pulled her into a one armed hug.

" Sorry about my crazy brother."

" How on earth are you related to him, Lexi?"

" I ask myself that same question every day."

" Lexi?"

" Yeah?"

" I missed you."

" I missed you too."

Lia leaned forward, and pressed a soft kiss to Alexis' cheek. Then she twisted so that she could reach across the older girl's body, and repeated the action to the other cheek. Flushed and bright eyed, she dropped to her knees and smiled as Syrus turned around fully to face her.

" Bonjour mon petit." She murmured, and planted one on either side of his face. Syrus beamed at her through his red cheeks, and wrapped his arms around her neck.

" Hey Lia."

" Hey!" Atticus cut in with a whine. " Why didn't you kiss me hello?"

" Because both you and the idiot saw fit to pick me up and s_pin_ me around. So no hello kiss for either of you."

" Aw." Atticus pouted, and that sent Alexis into a fit of giggles. Jaden smiled at her mirth as Chazz sighed and turned so that he could face them all. In front of him, with Syrus still half draped over her, Lia was clearing fighting to keep a smile off of her face. It was a losing battle, because all the lip-biting in the world couldn't disguise the delight that was making her hazel eyes dance. With the wind coming off the ocean whistling around them, and her hair (tamed into a thick, attractive braid that curled over her left shoulder and fell to her chest) glinting with red highlights in the sun above them, Lia looked very pretty, like the teenager she was supposed to be, instead of the closed off girl she'd been the same time last year. With Alexis' hand on her shoulder and Syrus almost in her lap and Chazz with arms crossed and trying to keep his face in a frown, a sense of rightness settled over Jaden.

He was back. The world was right again.

Of course, the entire effect of it all was mostly lost on the freshman carefully walking past them on the cliff, what with him neither knowing each member of the group enough nor seeing the beautiful picture they made to appreciate the rightness of the situation. Instead, he raised a grey eyebrow and shot Jaden a look.

" Interesting friends you've got there."

Lia whipped around at the unfamiliar voice, but most of her was blocked by Alexi and Chazz.

Jaden grinned back, letting all the rough, angry feeling from the duel slip off his mind like water off of a duck.

" They keep me from going crazy."

" Too late for that." And Lia scowled at the newbie through the gap between Alexis' and Chazz's legs. " See you around Jaden."

" Yeah, you too!" Jaden called back. As he raised his hand to wave, a thought occurred to him. " Hey!"

" What?" The boy sounded more curious than annoyed.

" Last minute piece of advice."

" If you insist." Jaden could tell the boy figured he was humouring Jaden. The grin that lit up the Slifer's face was just a trifle vindictive.

" Next time you wanna go in undercover, try coming up with a better fake name." Jaden fought the urge to smirk at the freshman's stunned expression. " See you later, Aster Phoenix."

The way the pro-star's jaw dropped open made every snide comment during the duel completely worth it.

* * *

Because I couldn't resist. Remember, my Jaden is a little smarter than the orignal. He's got a B average!

So, here we are. The gang's all together again. Alexis is being supportive, Chazz is being a dick, Syrus is happy, Atticus is flirting, and Lia is causing someone pain. And Jaden is dueling. Ah, all is right with the world.

There isn't really much to say about this chapter. 'Pervers' is pervert and 'secousse' is jerk.

Lia and Atticus left the luggage off at Ra Yellow before hurrying over to the Red Dorm.

Bastian has been locked in his room since he arrived; something about equations and numbers and I dunno, I wasn't really paying attention.

Yeah, real Lia and Atticus interaction! I love these two. He just pisses her off _so_ much.

Atticus' comment on Romeo is based off of what an English supply teacher told me in the ninth grade. Of course, she also went on to say that for one of her papers in university, she proved Romeo was a sociopath who became obssessed with Juliet and stalked her. ...She was my favourite supply teacher.

Bonjour mon petit - Hello, my little one. Or something to that affect. Lia's okay with being affectionate to Syrus. And also, she's not as much of a bitch because she got to sleep on the helicopter over. And really? Did you expect her to be able to resist _Atticus_ charms right off the bat? You need to be exposed to that stuff so you can build up an immunity.

Well, see you all tomorrow for the Syrus vs Missy duel. ...That'll be fun.

MoS


	4. Changing Times

Warnings: Syrus is about to...be different.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

Okay, guys, seriously? Why can't I Align my text to the center? I just want my title to be in the middle, goddamnit! So one tell ff . net that their editing page is malfunctioning. Again.

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**Year Two: Descending Light**

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Aside from a few rough patches (Crowler suddenly breathing down the necks of the Duelists, trying the sniff out the next big thing in order to make himself look good; Chazz being forced to duel some stuck-up little prick by the name of Reginald Van SomethingorOther, who might've been able to pull a win if he'd stopping trash talking long enough to actually look at his cards – instead, he'd made taken a cheap shot at Chazz and the entire Academic Program, resulting in Lia's brand new English textbook slamming into his head and knocking him unconscious at the end of the duel; and of course, what would forever be referred to as 'The Hassleberry Incident' wherein Jaden had challenged the bully holding up the traffic at the bridge, harsh words were exchanged, and somehow or another, Jaden had gained yet another devoted follower. Tyranno Hassleberry was loud, pushy, and more than a little strange, but that only made him fit in all the more. While Syrus felt a little nervous about his position as Jaden's best friend being threatened, but surprisingly enough, Lia had no objections to him joining their ragtag little group. Of course, that may have had something to do with the fact that when presented with a girl, Hassleberry morphed from shouting drill sergeant to a perfect gentleman. He'd gotten the door and held it open the first time Lia had some to visit, poured her tea, and escorted her out of the room with the insistence that a young lady should not be left to walk alone in the dark. Lia had tried to be insulted at the insinuation, but the little smile she'd given her fellow Ra as he'd led her out the door had belied all her huffing and crossed arms. It was actually rather amusing to see both her and Alexis drop their tough outer shells whenever Hassleberry started pulling chairs out and holding doors open.) the year had gone smoothly right up until Crowler had hit on the idea that Syrus would make a good next target for his machinations, and that was about the time that their 'smooth sailing' period came to an abrupt, and panic stricken end.

Syrus, to everyone's shock, took the news of his imminent duel with more calm than he'd ever been able to summon in his first year. There was a slight tremble in his shoulders when he'd shrugged the news off, and his the knuckles of his fists were just a little bit whiter than the rest of his skin, but it wasn't the full out panic attack everyone had been expecting when Bastian had told him the news.

" I guess Crowler figured I could just follow in my brother's footsteps." Syrus' voice was just a little too hard for it to be a casual statement. " Guess he hasn't figured out that I'm not my brother."

" Thank god for that." Lia, who'd accompanied Bastian, snorted. " I couldn't stand it if there was another Zane in the world."

" I don't think I could take another you, since you brought up the subject." Chazz sneered.

" I can't stand the fact that there's even one of you, asshole."

" At least we don't have to worry about you having kids. There's nobody in the world who'd wanna knock you up."

" Just like there's nobody who'd want to get into bed with you?"

" I think you're forgetting something. Money. Is. A turn-on."

" So you're gonna be paying women to have sex with you. Great plan there, Princeton. Fund the prostitutes' union."

" Is that what you and your band have been calling it?"

" Why you-"

" Princeton!" Hassleberry jumped up, his eyes dark. " That is no way ta talk ta a lady! You better apologize right now son, 'fore I stick mah foot up yer ass!" He flushed abruptly, and turned to Lia and Alexis, who were standing in one corner, the latter trying to hold the former back from attacking the older boy. " 'Scuse mah language, ladies. I know it ain't polahte ta lose mah temper in the company of such beautiful women."

Alexis blushed at the compliments and smiled in a slightly patronizing manner at the army brat. Lia scoffed, and crossed her arms.

" I've said worse."

" I'm sure you have, ma'am, but this soldier was raised ta always respect a lady. Mah mama would have my hahde if I ever talked ta a girl the way he," he stuck his thumb towards Chazz, " was mouthin' off ta you, and I ain't gonna sit around and let him run you down."

" I can fight my own battles." Lia hissed, but there was no real heat in. Hassleberry smiled at her as she sat down with a huff on the edge of the couch by Bastian.

" And I really do respect that, ma'am. You got spirit, and that's a fahne thing ta have."

Lia tried very hard not to look flattered.

" Geez." Chazz sat down as well, crossing his legs and scowling, as he was wont to do. " Are ya gonna sic your attack dog one me every time we get into it, Shanner?"

Lia's answering smirk was almost venomous.

" I can take you down all on my own, Princeton."

" Bring it on, French Bitch."

" Anytime, anywhere."

" I would just love to see you try-"

" Guys!" Alexis cut in, diffusing the mounting tension. " Could we focus?"

Both parties had the decency to at least look a little ashamed.

" Sorry."

" Whatever."

" You know, Sy," Jaden began, " I was expecting you to be a little more freaked out about this. You usually get a little panicked when you're thrown into the duel arena head first."

Syrus shrugged.

" I thought I freak out too, but after the Sacred Beasts, I don't think there's much that can scare me."

The mood of the room sobered almost immediately. While there had been half-hearted discussions and whispered questions, those who'd taken part in the daring, and incredibly dangerous rescue of Syrus from the vicious Beasts had been trying their best to forget that the incident had ever happened. At the reminder, each of the faces in the room darkened, save Hassleberry's, who looked on in confusion. Alexis wrapped her arms around herself, shuddering at though she was trying to ward off a sudden chill. Chazz's fingers, resting against the armrest of the couch, dug into the fabric under them with brutal force. Bastian leaned forward, and steepled his fingers, his mouth set in a grim line. Lia absentmindedly rubbed her shoulder, and trembled as she leaned back against the couch. Syrus himself was staring straight ahead, his eyes unfocused, but his face pale, his lips pressed tightly together, and his hands shaking in his lap.

But the most drastic change was Jaden.

His face darkened immediately after the mention of the Beasts. All the cheer in his expression vanished, and the light quirk on his lips dropped down to an angry frown. The light in his eyes faded until they were blank pools of brown, and he shifted his head forward so his bangs would shield them. His one hand clenched in his lap, while the other flew to his deck, fingertips just barely brushing the cards there in some kind of reassurance. The entire effect was startling, and Hassleberry backed up a little.

" What...are ya talkin' about?"

And that was how Hassleberry had learned the truth about what had happened during the previous year at Duel Academy. If the tale frightened him, it didn't show on his face, and the groups respect for the loud Ra went up a notch. Needless to say, so had Hassleberry's for Syrus. Although brash and angry, there was one thing Hassleberry truly respected: courage. And Syrus had that in spades.

Which was why the boy in question was now standing outside the duel arena, waiting to be called in to duel Missy. He supposed he should be feeling more nervous. There was a certain kind of healthiness to be found in being scared before life-changing events, but all Syrus could muster up at the moment was a strange sense of calm, and maybe even a little boredom. It wasn't cocky of him to say that, in his opinion. It was just that after endless darkness and deafening roars and the blackness clawing at his very soul, seeping inside and trying to tear him apart from the core outwards, his screams echoing off walls that were nowhere to be seen yet pressing against his every limb...

After an experience like that, something as small as a duel with an Obelisk meant so very little to him. All he wanted was to leave the large, echoing arena (he didn't like places that echoed anymore), and get back to the warmth of his friends (he didn't like cold places anymore either), and sit next to Jaden and let the taller boy's excitement and happiness seep into him and banish the memories of that awful place from his mind (scratch that, he didn't want to be anywhere that wasn't with his friends, where their laughter and their jokes and their gentle touches made him feel like he could survive it when the black corners of his room spread and twisted and looked at him with glowing red eyes, their wicked clawed hands reaching out to touch him, to grab at him, to cut at his skin and bleed him until he was raw. He didn't want to be anywhere where his friends couldn't see him and pull him back when he couldn't distinguish the echoes from the screams that were ripping out of his throat. He didn't want to be anywhere where his friends weren't ever again), and just be the normal kid he was supposed to be.

' But then, I gave up on being normal a long time ago, didn't I?' Syrus sighed, pushing off the wall and starting to walk forward, his mind a buzz.

" Excuse me."

Syrus jumped. Turning quickly, he managed to keep his balanced and looked at the source of the voice. A pretty, dark-skinned girl in a Ra Yellow uniform was standing a meter or so away from him, her hands clasped behind her body and her left foot scuffing the floor sheepishly. When she saw that Syrus was looking, she smiled brightly, reaching up to brush a strand of black hair out of her green eyes.

" Hi. Um, you're ah...you're...Syrus Trusedale, r-right?" She stuttered out. Taken aback by the nervousness of the girl, Syrus could only nod.

" Yeah, that's me."

" Oh, good. That's...it's good." The girl fiddled with her hair, twirling it around her fingers as she tried to collect her thoughts. " I'm...ah... I'm Abeni Hasib. I'm a first year. ...Ra Yellow. B-But you knew that, didn't you?" She laughed nervously and tugged at the end of her golden skirt. Syrus blinked, feeling very confused.

" Was...there something you needed?" He asked, vaguely aware that he should probably hurry onto the duel soon. Abeni jumped at being addressed, her face going slightly red as she fumbled for an answer.

" I-yeah, I just wanted to...I thought maybe I should..." She bit her lip. " I ah, just wanted to say...good luck today."

She bent her head, cheeks completely red, and darted back down the hallway.

Syrus just stood there for a few seconds, trying to figure out what had happened.

" Did...she just..." Syrus shook his head, trying to clear it. " Nevermind."

He had a duel to focus on.

* * *

Syrus had been right.

The duel hadn't been that big of a thing. The most interesting part, in his opinion, was that his complete apathy towards Missy's scare tactics had resulted in the older girl getting redder and redder until Syrus was sure she was going to erupt like a volcano. It had been amusing, watching her flounder when her barbs did little more than scratch the surface of his emotions. He'd shut down, was all he could really say, and no amount of trash talk or weak insults from someone who had no idea what he'd done and gone through were going to snap him out it.

And then Missy had told him that he'd never measure up to Zane, as long as he lived.

Well, to fair, he'd said later, she was the one who'd foolishly opened that can of worms.

" You mind repeating that?" His tone was low. All around him, the sounds of the crowd cheering itself hoarse faded until there was a low, buzzing undercurrent in his ears, like a fly had flown too close. It was an ironic observation, given who he was fighting, but Syrus was too preoccupied with the words that were pouring out of Missy's mouth at rapid speed, her face lit up by the fact that she'd at long last touched a nerve, to notice the irony.

" You heard me." Her tone was infuriatingly smug. " Hate to break it to you, hun, but no amount of practicing is gonna bring you up to Zane's level. No way, no how."

Syrus clenched his fists.

" I mean, just look at you." She gestured mockingly. " You're a Slifer Red. There's no way that someone in that good for nothing dorm could ever even hope to match Zane. He's phenomenon. He's amazing. He's way beyond you and he's all mine when I win this joke of a duel."

" You think this is a joke?" There was red, on the very edge of his vision, and Syrus fought to keep it from bleeding over to the rest of it.

Missy scoffed.

" Duh. Sorry hun, but you aren't exactly number one around here. This duel we're having right here is just a stupid formality so that I can get out of this school, into the pro leagues, and into Zane's gorgeous, strong arms." She gave a little love struck sigh. " Face it. You're just another stepping stone on the way to my dreams."

" Yeah?"

If Missy heard the warning in the way his pitch had dropped dangerously, or the way he was gritting his teeth, or that way his eyes had narrowed into dark grey slits, she gave no indication.

" Yeah. You're just some loser wannabe playing at the big leagues. You honestly thought you could waltz in here and beat me? Honey, you're a delusional as you are pathetic. As if someone like you could ever touch me." She shrugged. " It's a shame though. I was really expecting more of a fight from Zane's little brother. Looks like the talent genes skipped you too-"

" Missy," Syrus interrupted, his tone light and his face lit up in a frighteningly calm smile, " could you please do everyone a really big favour and shut that friggin' trap you call a mouth you ugly bitch?"

There was a beat of stunned silence, then,

" WHAT?"

" Oh, I'm sorry, did I stutter or something?" Syrus kept his unholy grin on his face. " I said, 'shut your friggin' trap, you ugly bitch.' Do you need to see it written down or something?"

" I...you..how dare you..." Missy seemed completely speechless. She wasn't the only one.

" Guys, did Syrus just say what I think he just said?" Jaden asked, brow quirked.

" Yes, I believe he did." Bastian's mouth hung open.

" Oh hell yeah" Alexis punched the air in triumph. " You show that skank who's boss!"

" Alexis!" Jaden shouted.

" What?" The older girl asked, giving him a look. " She looks like she belongs on a street corner, don't deny it."

" Yeah, well..." Jaden looked uncomfortable. " ...You don't have to be so aggressive about it."

" No, that girl's a bitch. Lexi can be aggressive." Lia was smiling.

" Not her biggest fan I take it?" Bastian grinned charmingly at the younger girl. Lia blushed pink.

" It's just...girls like that are hard to get along with."

" You're no angel yourself." Chazz cut in. Lia looked up at him.

" I don't have to be." And then she flicked him in the nose liked she done at the airport just over two months earlier.

Down below, Syrus was still grinning like the Cheshire Cat, while Missy was flushing an unflattering shade of purple in the artificial lights above them.

" No, I think the question is, how dare you." Syrus shrugged. " Calling me a loser, not taking this duel seriously, I mean, c'mon. What kind of real duelist underestimates their opponent like that? It's sloppy and stupid, that's what it is."

" Who are you calling stupid, you runt?" Missy snarled, her eyes flashing. But Syrus met her murderous stare with a cold one of his own.

" I think I'm starting to get it."

" Get what?" Missy spat, drawing a card. " That you're outta your league? That you should never have messed with me? That I'm about to rip you to pieces?"

The last barb struck home, and the smile dropped from the boy's face.

" She shouldn't have said that..." Jaden murmured worriedly as he took in the storm clouds gathering over Syrus' head. " She really shouldn't have said that."

" This is gonna be ugly." Lia whispered, and focused her camera.

" What I get, Missy, is you." Syrus glared. " I get what makes you tick. You're just an insecure, stupid bitch who needs to either put others down to feel good about yourself, or put out in order to feel like you can be close to people. You haven't got one person in this school who will stick by you when you need it, and when you see someone like me, who looks weak and easy, you start saying all the things you know are true about yourself."

" You fucking little-"

" I wasn't done yet." Syrus said coldly. Missy took a step back from the look in his eyes. " You fell for Zane because he's everything you've ever wanted to be: smart, popular, a great duelist. You fell for him because he's an ideal you strive to attain, and you put him up on that pedestal without knowing a single thing about him. And what's worse, you tear other people down according to that pedestal, according to an ideal your mind came up with. Just like you tried to do with me. But I got news for you." Syrus took a deep breath. In the stands high above him, Abeni Hasib clasped her hands together, her eyes starry and her cheeks rosy.

" It won't work. I've known Zane my whole life, and let me tell you something: He's not perfect." Syrus sighed. " He can be a real jerk and he plays his music too loud and he hogs the remote and he tried to help me in all the wrong ways. Zane is a human being, and you glorifying him just makes me realize how little you know him at all."

" So what!" Missy snapped. " I'll get to know him when I beat you and meet him in the pros! There's nothing you can do to keep me from winning!"

" I can beat you." Syrus said softly. Missy laughed.

" Like you could ever-"

" You just don't get it, do you?" Syrus cut her off again, shaking his head. " You're so lost in your own delusions that you can't see what's going on." He levelled her with a steely look. " I'm not going to lose. Especially not to some stuck-up, arrogant, delusional bitch who wants to seduce my big brother!" He drew a card. " As if I'd ever let someone like you near Zane! Girls like you make him sick!"

And then he'd slammed his card down, siccing his machine monsters on a stunned Missy, and the duel had come to a close.

Later, after the congratulations and the cheering and the many hugs that his friends had provided, Syrus sunk down in the hallway of the Ra Yellow Dorm, his new jacket folded neatly in his lap and a cold feeling settling in his stomach.

He couldn't see his friends. He couldn't hear Jaden's satisfied sigh as he came back from dinner. He couldn't hear Chazz's grumbles as he crawled into the top bunk. He couldn't hear Hassleberry doing his nightly exercises to stay in shape. A long, empty hallway stretched out in front of him, and the gust of air he released from his lungs echoed in the silence.

Syrus shuddered.

" I don't want to be here." He moaned, dropping his head into the arms he had resting on his folded knees. " I really don't want to."

" So why don't you go back?"

Syrus jumped at the voice. Leaning over him, Abeni's dark hair fell over her shoulder, her skin almost chocolate coloured against the white and gold of her uniform.

" You again!" Syrus said, his face warming.

" We seem to keep meeting like this." She smiled at him. " I didn't really give you a proper introduction before. I'm Abeni Hasib, but you can call me Ben. Everyone does."

" Nice to meet you." Syrus stuck out his hand, struck by how the timid girl from earlier seemed to have evaporated into thin air. " I'm Syrus Trusedale."

" I know." She giggled, and Syrus felt a little bubble of elation rise up in his chest.

" Yeah, I...sorta figured." He rubbed the back of his neck. " If you don't mind my asking, what was up with that...whole thing right before the duel."

" Oh, that." Her cheeks went red. " I'm usually a really talkative person, but, well, when you looked at me like that...I just froze." She grinned.

" Like what?" Syrus asked.

" Like...I can't explain it. You just made me feel so nervous."

" I made you feel nervous?"

" I couldn't help it." She scuffed her shoe again. " You...you're really cute, Syrus."

Syrus' entire face went red.

" Thanks."

" No problem. So, you said you wanted to get out of here?"

" Huh?" Syrus snapped himself back to attention. Abeni had such deep green eyes. " Oh, yeah. Don't take this the wrong way, I mean Ra's great and all but..."

" You're a Slifer to the bitter end?"

" Jaden came back for me once." Syrus whispered softly. " It was early last year, and he didn't even know me very well, but he turned down a dorm promotion so he could stay with me. I...I wanna stay with him too. Jaden's...well he's..." Syrus struggled to find the right word to describe Jaden. Friend was too soft and roommate was too cold and mentor was too distant. Companion wasn't strong enough and Most Important Person didn't sound right and even Best Friend didn't seem to fit him right. He had no word to accurately describe what Jaden was, what it had meant to him to open his eyes in the black void and find himself being thrown forward into the first crack of light he'd seen since he was lost, and to find himself being crushed to Jaden's chest, the other boy crying and praying and holding him tight. There was no way to put into words the feeling that had threatened to bubble up out of his chest and fill him until he exploded from it all when he'd realized how far Jaden had come to get him back.

" He's..." Syrus whispered, Abeni's green eyes on him, warm and encouraging, " ...my brother, I guess."

" Brothers should stick together." The girl whispered back, and helped Syrus to his feet.

Several hours later, when the havoc caused at dinner when Syrus, still riding the adrenaline high from his duel, had refused to take Hassleberry's shit, had picked a fight that had finally died down, the newly promoted boy turned to Jaden, nervous but determined.

" Jay, how do you say 'brother' in Japanese."

" Huh?" The other Slifer blinked at the sudden question. " I guess...you could say 'Onii-chan', even though it's kinda girly."

" Is there a less girly way to say it?"

Jaden paused, tapping his lower lip as he thought.

" You could also say 'Aniki'. That's a more masculine way, I think. I don't know. Fuyubi-chan always called me onii-chan, but that was about the only feminine thing about her."

" Who?"

" My cousin, Fuyubi Yuki."

" Oh." There was a pause, in which Jaden opened his mouth to ask where the questions had come from. But Syrus cut him off, looking away. " Jaden?"

" Yeah Sy?"

" Can...Can I call you...Aniki?"

There was a beat of silence, in which Jaden sat straight up in the chair, his eyes wide. Syrus clenched his hands in the rug, willing the conversation not to turn ugly with all his heart. A second later, a shadow fell over him, and Syrus felt a warm hand place itself on his shoulder.

" Sy." Jaden's voice was warm and soft, and suddenly, Syrus felt like he was home.

" I'd be honoured, Syrus."

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So, here's Chapter 3! And I've introduced my Syrus, who, as you can all see, is a little different from the Syrus in the original.

Let's get to some translations, shall we?

Hassleberry: I honestly believe that Hassleberry is a gentleman. Then again, I also believe that he has four sisters and a very stern mother who brought him up to respect women. But that's just me.

Syrus not being scared: If you'll all recall, last year Syrus survived _weeks_ with the Sacred Beasts, nearly being torn apart. A duel with some girl who thinks she's all that isn't going to phase him, not in my version. Also, he'll be fine for the GX Tournament. No garbage cans for him! but clearly, he's still traumatized from his experiences. Who wouldn't be?

Abeni Hasib: Hasib is Arabic for 'noble' or 'respectful'. Abeni is a Nigerian name meaning 'we asked for her and she came'.

Aniki: I've been wanting to introduce this, but I couldn't find a good spot in Year One.

Fuyubi- Fuyu means 'winter', and her full name, Fuyubi, is 'winter sun'. She's a cross-counter/track star, a year and a half younger than Jaden, and her goal is to surpass in him her chosen arena. She hopes to go to the Olympics before Jaden can become th King of Games. She usually uses his nickname rather than his real one, and calls him 'Juudai-nii-chan'. She will probably come up in conversation from time to time. Jaden lives in his parents house just down the street from Fuyubi and her family. His aunt Ayatsuri (Puppet/Manipulation, because she is very controlling of her children; she is his father's sister) is his legal guardian if anything should happen to his parents. Fuyubi has two older brothers, one of whom is named Ichiro (First son), and another who is yet unnamed.

I think that's everything. See you all on Friday.

MoS


	5. Unflattering Introductions

Warnings: We are about to foray into the inner workings of Lia's mind...be afraid. Be VERY afraid.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX

I'm sorry, but has anyone else noticed that the editing tool for the documents has gotten really screwed up? I tried to put the title in the middle and it ITALICIZED my whole document.

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**Year Two: Descending Light**

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Lia was rather surprised to find that she wasn't exactly delighted to watch Zane finally go down. Yes, she'd felt that sadistic little tug of contentment when he'd started floundering, and she'd been happy when his opponent had started to kick his ass (although she'd been very careful to hide the telltale smirk, given that she was sitting in between two of Zane's biggest supporters – Jaden on one side and the Rhodes siblings on the other- and just behind the man's younger brother, who'd seemed to have grown a bit more of a backbone over the summer), but when his points had started dropping rapidly and a look of anxiety had started to creep up on his admittedly handsome face, Lia was more than a little stunned by the stab of pity that wracked her thoughts.

It wasn't as though she liked Zane. She'd made that abundantly clear the night she'd met him, and her disdain for him had only risen as the year had worn on. His callous commented, his cold demeanour, his arrogant looks had all worn on her nerves and made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end every time she thought of him. He was just one more stuck-up prick in an Obelisk Blue uniform, and she'd had enough of those to last her lifetime after her first week. Zane was a jerk, and that got on her nerves. But Zane was also a bully, and that was what had cemented him as the enemy in her mind forever.

The cold remarks, she could forgive. The unflattering disinterest in her, she could understand. The annoyingly arrogant way he did everything, she could learn to live with. But the second he'd made Syrus cry that night as the sun had sank beneath the ocean was something Lia was never going to let go of. Syrus was her friend, and while Lia had a very limited experience in that area (at that time; she was proud to say that she'd gotten better), she'd discovered one very important thing about herself that night:

She didn't like it when people messed with her friends.

And so, she hated Zane. It wasn't so hard to go from disliking him to downright wishing his a slow and painful end. Zane didn't exactly lend himself to any kind of redemption story Alexis could cook up for him, and watching Syrus wilt and shrivel up under Zane's cold eye was enough to make Lia's stomach curl in on itself. She'd hated him as much as she'd hated her father when she'd gotten old enough to figure out that no, her parents' divorce hadn't been one of those nice, 'let's talk about this' rational decision divorces. Her father had walked out on her and her mother, and she'd never been able to really express that anger, given that her father was long dead.

Zane was an easy person to hate. And Lia, so angry and confused and scared, was a person who could easily hate.

And then Syrus had been gone, and Zane had been nothing but an empty shell, and Lia had slapped him as hard as she could across the face, for no reason other than she knew he'd let her, and somehow, they'd reached something of an understanding.

Lia could hate him all she wanted. It would never match the intense sickness Zane felt when he looked in the mirror. Lia could punch him until his nose bled and his jaw snapped. She'd never make him hurt as bad as when Syrus was ripped from him. Lia could scream herself hoarse, cursing him to high heaven and calling him a monster. She'd never find words to match the things he called himself in the dead of night when he thought of his brother. Lia could hate him with every fibre of her being. She'd never hate Zane as much as he hated himself.

And that took all the fire out of her anger.

She'd mellowed out a bit, after that. Zane as just a boy, trying to help in all the wrong ways. He loved his brother, he truly did, but he'd messed up in trying to show it. Zane was human, and the image of the bully Lia had built him up in her mind to be fell apart as soon as she'd looked into his listless eyes and seen the broken soul therein.

She slapped him partly because he'd lost Syrus, partly because she was furious at him for going off alone, and partly because he was not and would never again be the monster she'd painted him as in her head.

From that moment on, Zane had morphed into just an idiot trying to do the right thing, not really anything different from Chazz's strained attempts at friendship or her own painful trials with letting people in. She'd lost her greatest scapegoat that day, and while she mourned for the loss of it for a while, there were duels to watch, picturesque scenes to photograph, and a whole world to save, and her life became cluttered up with daring quests and epic card games once again.

So it was with a smaller bit of contempt that she'd settled down for the long awaited duel between Zane and Aster Phoenix. She enjoyed watching Zane get knocked off his pedestal a bit, but when push came to shove, he was Duel Academy boy, and, as shown with Slade and Jagger Princeton, when given a common enemy, Duel Academy rallied as one. So secretly, she supported the jerk, wishing him well in her head and hoping he beat the pro-star. If she got a cheap laugh out of watching him pave a rocky road to victory, then that was her business. She may no long hate him with a boiling passion, but he was still a prick and she was welcome to dislike him to her heart's content.

What she figured caused the feeling that she didn't want Zane to lose had less to do with Zane himself than she'd originally thought when the feeling had struck her. As she watched duel progress (with a rudimentary and still struggling knowledge; she frequently appealed to the Duelists around her for help in understanding what the hell had just happened, why whoever had just lost lifepoints, and why, oh god why, that guy had done that. And also, what the hell was that thing?), she found herself coming to a rather startling conclusion.

It wasn't that she really wanted Zane to win.

She just really wanted Aster Phoenix to lose.

Something about him just rubbed her wrong way, Ignoring the flush of attraction that went through her when his face had first been displayed on the screen, there was something in his eyes and the way he stood that had her hackles rising and her fist clenching. He had all of Zane's arrogant confidence, but it was smoothed down with a charisma not unlike Atticus'. The boy was a charmer, Lia (raised in flirty, pushy France) could tell just by looking at him. And he knew he was good-looking, if the way he'd strutted into the duel arena (really, there was no other way to describe the way he walked) was anything to go by. And he was probably a bit of jerk, given the way he smirked (Duel Academy was full of people like that, and it was best to learn how to spot them from a distance, or else run the risk of spending a lot of time in their unpleasant company. And the best way to spot them, as Lia had learned quite early on, was by listening to the way they spoke to others, watching the way they entered a room, and most especially, looking at the way they smirked. And Aster had all the qualifications of a big-time jerk). And while none of those thing alone really bothered her too much (she put up Chazz on a daily basis), rolled together in the package that was Aster Phoenix, they made her want to smack that stupid little grin right off his face.

And that was probably why she was currently cheering for Zane.

" Okay, I'm so confused. What just happened?"

Well, cheering in her own, very lost sort of way.

" Aster merged Burstinatrix and Avion." Jade explained, eyes riveted to the screen.

" The red lady and the...green guy with wings?" Lia tried, and let out a sigh of relief when the Slifer nodded. " Don't you do that a lot?"

" Yep." Jaden didn't look away from the match.

" But that thing doesn't look anything like the thing you usually get when you do that thing that he just did." Then she blinked. " Sorry, that sounded less confusing in my head."

" The reason is quite simple." Bastian leaned down out of his seat, Lia looked up, one brow raised.

" It's because-"

" It's because with Elemental Heroes, you get a choice." Jaden butted in. " You get to choose which high-level monster your merger will create. I just usually go with Flame Wingman because I know him better and I trust him. Phoenix Enforcer's a bit of a bastard, when push comes to shove."

There was silence in the group.

" And on that note from the resident crazy, we go back to pretending we don't know him." Chazz rolled his eyes.

Lia fluttered her eyelashes sweetly at him.

" Oh Chazz, chéri, you got the wrong idea. We've been pretending that we don't know you, not Jaden. Sorry about the mix up."

" I'd like very much to pretend that I don't know you, sweetheart, but you just keep talking to me."

" I talk around you, not to you."

" Talk to what around me, the air?"

" Oh, ha ha, very clever. You think of that one all by yourself?"

" Yes actually, which was quite a feat, given that I've actually got people to do stuff with me, and am not alone 24/7, unlike some people I could name."

" You wanna start something, Princeton?"

" Since when did you know about the choices in fusion?" Alexis asked Jaden over the ruckus of Chazz and Lia getting into yet another fight. The younger boy shrugged, raising his voice as he answered in order to be heard.

" It's my deck, Lex. I may not be the brightest bulb in the box, but I love my cards." Alexis smiled at that. At least, she would have, had Lia not chosen the moment to spring out of her seat and fly at Chazz, attempting to bash his face into the desk while he flailed around frantically. Bastian let out a long suffering sigh and reached over to try and separate them, while Atticus made matters worse by cheering them both on. Alexis, to her credit, only closed her eyes and counted to ten, before calmly reaching beside her and hauling Lia back down with ease. Jaden gave her an impressed look.

" When you live your life as this crazy idiot's sister," she pointed to Atticus, " you learn a thing or two about defusing a situation."

" Guys." Lia said, looking at the duel. " Zane's shiny dragon thing-"

" Monster." Hassleberry supplied at the same time that Syrus corrected, " Cyber Dragon."

" ...Yeah, that thing. Whatever it is, it just went boom." Lia pointed to the screen, which was filled with smoke. " And also, the prick keeps calling him some stupid nickname."

" Kitten, you're gonna have to be way more specific. Which one is the prick, Zane or Aster?" Atticus sweat dropped as Lia glared at him.

" Zane is a bastard, not a prick. I'm talking about What'sHisName Phoenix."

" Aster." Alexis said. Lia snorted.

" Isn't that a flower name?"

Alexis' face went blank for a second, and then she snickered.

" Oh god, it is!"

Jaden leaned back in his seat.

" What were his parents thinking."

" Something along the same lines as my parents." Lia huffed. " 'Ottilia', what the hell."

" Why'd they name you that anyway?" Syrus piped up. Lia shrugged.

" It means 'lucky heroine' or something."

" You're gonna need alotta luck if you wanna-"Chazz started, but was cut off as a loud cry of protest rose up from the gathered crowd. On the screen, Zane's face had paled considerably, and his eyes were as wide as they could get. Across from him, standing confidently despite the dissipating smoke and fading explosion around him, was Aster Phoenix, his eyes closed, his lips pulled into a smirk, and his monster untouched. A flashing note on the bottom of the screen indicated that he was sitting at one hundred lifepoints, and while that wasn't much, Lia had learned enough to know that it would suffice. The stuck-up little prick was still in the duel.

" You've got to be kidding me!" Jaden shouted as Aster explained, very smugly, about his Elemental Recharge, and how he'd managed to save himself.

" Why can't he just hurry up and lose!" Chazz snarled, pounding his fists against the desk. Two rows below him, Syrus bobbed his head up and down in agreement, his eyes narrowed.

" Blood American." Bastian hissed.

" Amen to that." The entire group turned to look at Lia. " What?"

" Aren't you half-American?" Jaden asked at the same time Syrus tried to point out that not only were Hassleberry and Chazz Americans, but both he and Zane were from the United States as well, so the insult lost most of its potency.

Lia glared at her friend.

" Of course I am, so I have every right to mock them. If you do it, you just look like you're still sore about World War Two."

" I'm sorry about Pearl Harbour, okay? It was a stupid idea!" Jaden threw his arms up in futility. " Can we just move past it already?"

" It was a dick move." Atticus pointed out.

" And what do you call Hiroshima and Nagasaki?"

" Okay, guys!" Alexis cut in, looking upset. " The war was terrible, everybody's country did stupid things, the Holocaust was one of the worst events in human history, and we've all learned a lesson from it. Can we please focus in on the duel now?"

Lia blinked.

" Yes?" She tried cautiously. The others nodded quickly and turned back to the screen, wary of Alexis' wrath.

" One last thing." Atticus fixed first Lia, and then Bastian with a triumphant look. " We took Vimy Ridge and you guys couldn't so HAH!" Then he turned around, and Bastian gave Lia a look that clearly asked if she thought the older boy was mentally stable. Lia shook her head and reached up to pat his elbow sympathetically, wondering why, for a moment, she had ever agreed to be friends with Atticus Rhodes.

" Oh shit!" The boy in question leaned forward out of his seat as a dark-coloured Sparkman aimed something that looked suspiciously like an Uzi at the two headed metal dragon Zane had resting behind him. With his dark brown eyes wide and all trace of laughter gone from his face, Lia was reminded of the furious boy who'd desperately tried to get her to run in the face of the Sacred Beasts, and decided, in that instant, that she liked the joking, flirty Atticus better. At least with him, she knew how to react – a quick jab to the stomach with her elbow and a biting comment about his intelligence.

" What? What's happening?" She squinted at the monsters. " Why is the electric guy holding Zane and his dragon thing at gunpoint?"

" Sparkman is going to use his Spark Blaster to put Zane's Cyber Twin Dragon in defence mode." Bastian explained slowly, smiling slightly.

" So the lightning guy is gonna use his gun-thingy to make Zane's What'sit dragon do that thing where the monsters just sorta sit there and not jump at you and try to hurt you?"

The group around her facefaulted.

" That's the gist of it, yes." Bastian rubbed the bridge of his nose.

" You really don't get duelin' do ya ma'am?" Hassleberry looked up at her from the row below. Lia wrinkled her nose.

" Not in the least."

" Ah well." Hassleberry shrugged. " You're probably smarter 'en most 'o these soldiers combahned."

" Thanks."

" Anytahme, ma'am."

" You can call me Lia, you know."

" Much ablahged, Miss Lia."

Lia sighed. Somehow, she got the feeling that she wasn't going to win the argument.

" So, what's going on now?"

" Aster's toying with him." Alexis snapped through gritted teeth. " He's putting Cyber Twin Dragon in defence mode, and then yanks him back to attack mode, and then back to defence mode again."

" Dick." Lia muttered.

" Got that right." Jaden agreed.

" The announcers ain't such a swell gahy either."

Lia was surprised once again by the amount of anger she felt on Zane's behalf, but, as she'd thought before, he was a Duel Academy boy, and watching him get his ass handed to him by some guy several years younger was almost painful.

" Hey guys?" The Rhodes's siblings and Jaden turned to her. Hassleberry leaned back a bit to show he was listening, and Syrus was too absorbed in the duel to notice anything else. " How old is Aster Phoenix anyway? He looks younger than Zane."

Alexis tapped her chin, pondering the question.

" I think I remember...somewhere in a magazine, I read that he was turning fifteen this past spring or something."

Lia blanched.

" No way. So he's my age then?"

" Yeah." The blonde nodded. " You know, sometimes I forget you're younger. You don't act like it."

" Yeah, just like Aster doesn't act his age." Chazz said angrily. " I mean, 'Zaney'? C'mon! Wasn't that what that Missy girl was calling him?"

" Can we not talk about that bitch while my brother is dueling?" Syrus asked bitingly.

" Syrus, whoa." Alexis scolded, but she sounded so impressed that the rebuke was all but lost on the younger Trusedale.

" Stupid, arrogant bastard. Who does he think he is, making fun of my brother like that?" Syrus muttered darkly under his breath. Beside Alexis Lia twitched as green and silver monster, its metallic wings spread and the massive claws on the ends of its arms gleaming, took center stage.

" What, in the name of all that is good and holy, is that thing?" She twitched again as it struck a pose.

" Shining Phoenix Enforcer."

" What is it with this game and sticking 'shining' on the front of something." Lia scoffed. " It looks like something that just walked off the set of Terminator."

" No it doesn't." Jaden protested. Then he looked a little closer at the monster. " Okay, maybe a bit."

" Don't defend it just because it's potentially in your deck, Jay." Atticus said, still glaring at the screen.

" Yeah, yeah." Jaden sighed. " I am never gonna be able to look at my E-Heroes the same way again."

" Aster Phoenix tainted them for ya?" Chazz smirked down at him.

" I just feel so cheap, watching him play the same cards I use in all my duels. It's just...kinda disturbing."

" If it makes you feel any better, Jaden, you're nothing like Aster Phoenix." Bastian reassured.

" For one thing, you'd never call Zane 'Zaney'." Lia snorted. " And thank god for that too."

" Yes!" Syrus pumped his fist in the air, jubilant grin on his face.

" It's not that great a thing..." Lia murmured, taken aback by her short friend's reaction.

"Not that!" Syrus clarified. " The duel! Zane just summoned Cyber End Dragon."

As one unit, the group of friends looked at the screen Crowler had set up to broadcast the duel. Sure enough, Cyber End Dragon, its metallic body shining brightly, its three sets of eyes zeroing in on Aster, its mouth open in a screeching roar in triplicate, reared up behind Zane like a lion ready to pounce. The awestruck cheers coming from the surrounding fans in the stadium were all but drowned out by the furious shouts of joy and triumphant that actually shook the classroom. Syrus leapt to his feet, fists flying in the air in his elation.

Cyber End Dragon gave one last earth-shaking roar being it lowered down into a striking position just behind a now openly smirking Zane's shoulder. Across from him, looking way too calm for it to bode well, Aster merely nodded up at the massive hunk of metal, his blue eyes showing his boredom.

Lia felt the bottom of her stomach drop.

Lia was no Duelist. Despite spending most of her free time, and even some of her school-occupied time, in the company of several very good Duelists, she'd never really picked up on the game. The rules confused her, the positions and powers of the monsters made her head spin, and even the mention of the words 'Special Ability' was enough to make her dizzy. What little knowledge she had came from sitting with her friends and watching duels, sometimes picking up on moves that had been played before. She knew the names of some of the monsters in Jaden's deck, Bastian's pride and joy Water Dragon, and that Alexis' favourite was a ballerina-esque girl named Cyber Tutu. Beyond that, she started to fumble and mix up names, attacks, and even defence and attack mode. She would never really be able to follow a duel without some assistance, and while her friends would always be willing to help her, it made her feel rather like a fish out of water every time she sat in the stadium to watch one of their rag-tag group throw down.

As such, Lia was very confused as to what was happening. She had no idea what card Aster had played at the last second, or why he kept mentioning the Graveyard, She couldn't figure out why his stupid monster had suddenly gotten so strong so fast, or why Zane suddenly looked so pale. Her very basic knowledge told her that Aster had pulled something out of his ass at the last second, and now Zane was in serious trouble. How serious, she didn't really grasp until, with wide, disbelieving eyes, she watched Zane's lifepoint counter drop down to zero.

Lia Shanner would never be a Duelist. Neither would she ever be Zane's Trusedale's biggest fan. At some point in the future, she may be his defender, his confidante, or even his equal, but she would never be his closest friend.

That didn't stop her from rising to her feet, swearing like a sailor as Aster gave a gloating laugh. She spewed out words that, had her grandmother heard her, would have caused her to have her mouth rinsed out with soap, regardless of her age. Half the curses were words she'd forgotten she knew, having gleaned them from visiting relatives when they didn't think their cute little cousin Lia was listening. Because of that mistake, she had a long, vulgar repertoire she was more than capable of unleashing at anytime, and the time seemed absolutely perfect.

Because while Lia Shanner was no fan of Zane Trusedale, she as even less of a fan of Aster Phoenix, and, when forced to pick sides, her loyalty ran with Duel Academy's own.

"You stupid motherfucking bastard!"

And that was Lia's official introduction to the pro-star.

* * *

Sorry for the late update, we had people over for dinner.

So yeah, the Zane vs. Aster duel. From Lia's point of view. Incidentally, 'aster' is a flower, and means patience, and pure love.

Now think about Aster Phoenix.

...

It's okay. I laughed the first time I found out too.

That's about it.

Ah, Chazz and Lia, going at it like angry pitbulls. I am SO glad to have my sources of entertainment back.

See you all next week for the Aster vs. Jaden introduction!

MoS


	6. Uninspiring Encounters

Warnings: Aster heavy. And Jaden's apparent 'berserk button'.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

And now, the underlining tool isn't working with the BOLD tool anymore. What the HELL, site? Is anybody else having problems with their editing tools?

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

Everyone was more or less in a bad mood following Zane's defeat. Whether it was the blow to the school's credibility (one of the best to come out of Duel Academy; the graduate who'd been top of his grade every year he'd attended; the man who'd earned the nickname 'Kaiser'; he was Duel Academy's representative in the pro leagues and watching him go down had dampened everyone's spirits considerably) or a personal point of pride (after all, so many people admired and emulated Zane. That duel was doubly painful for them, because watching a personal hero bite the proverbial dust was never easy), the unanimous consensus was the Duel Academy was down in the dumps.

Of course, everyone had their own ways of showing that. Alexis trained harder; Atticus locked himself in his room for hours on end and wrote sad poems; Chazz, unfortunately for anyone within earshot, complained as loudly as his lungs would let him for a week straight. Surprisingly, Lia and him found several points to agree on, once he started in on Zane's opponent, and the two actually got along rather well as they insulted him together.

And as though Crowler didn't understand that everyone was depressed enough as it was (honestly, he probably didn't. The man wasn't known to look very far beyond his own nose, and cared even less about those he considered beneath him. And while the blatant favouritism had begun to wean – mainly due to a report that had been mailed to the feminine man over the summer, detailing the effects of his abuse of the Slifers, and a threat to send the report to every school board on the list- he still wasn't 'Teacher of the Year' material by a long shot), he'd sprung for cable again to see the interview Aster Phoenix was given. So everyone paraded into the classroom with varying degrees of anger and sadness, found their seats, and settled back for what was sure to be a long, painful evening.

Their predictions did not come up short.

" There's a reason I unveiled by new deck at this time." Aster stated. " I recently paid a visit to Duel Academy-"

" And used the lamest pseudo-name I've ever heard!" Chazz yelled at the screen. Several girls, seated near the front, turned from their fawning to glare at the black Slifer. Chazz just stared back, but it wasn't until Lia pretended to take aim at their heads with the novel she'd brought along that they hastily turned around again.

" Fucking fangirls." Chazz grumbled.

" –and had a nice, friendly duel with a student there." Aster smirked into the camera, and Lia glared at his smug expression. " And get this: He totally copied my deck."

The entire room fell silent. Jaden, who'd be resting with his head in his arms, half-asleep on the desk, shot up ramrod straight, his eyes staring disbelievingly forward, and his mouth hanging open. Syrus, sulking in his seat, had jumped up, his small face flushed with fury. Beside, Hassleberry started cussing up a storm, banging his fists against the desk in front him, his eyes shifting to a dangerous green, his pupils thinned to mere slits. Lia felt her jaw unhinge from her face, gaping at the grey haired boy on the screen. She tried to form a response, but she as so blown away by the gall of the statement that all she could manage was an impersonation of a goldfish.

To everyone shock, Jaden leapt to his feet, his eyes ablaze and his fists clenched.

" Kutabat' chimae!" He shouted, shaking his fist at the screen. " Nani wo iu tennen?"

While no one in his group of friends really understood what he was saying, there were a few other students from Japan in the room who started to yell encouragements.

" You tell him, senpai!"

" Ganbatte, Yuki-senpai!"

Jaden crossed his arms and glared, completely ignoring Crowler's shouts for him to sit down and behave. His friends eyed him in surprised, taken utterly aback by his anger.

" I mean, it's not like I can blame him. Who wouldn't want to be like yours truly?" Aster shrugged his shoulders in a way that both Atticus and Alexis knew had to be practiced in the mirror every morning. " But still, I had to reveal my deck now, because this student has...shall we say a bit of a legend going."

" Oh?" The reported pressed.

" He's got...some fans in the world of hard-core dueling, and I couldn't very well just sit back and let some punk take all the credit for my hard work, now could I?" At this point Aster flipped his hair, and Jaden flipped his lid.

" Kutabare!" He snarled, reached down for the book Lia had dropped onto the desk when Aster had made his earlier statement. Atticus, noticing the movement, dove for Jaden's arm and yanked the younger boy back into his seat.

" Jay! Take it easy! Don't go damaging school property just because some loser is trying to tear you down."

" On national television, might I add." Chazz leaned over. " Go for it, Slacker."

" Chazz, not helping." Atticus struggled to hold Jaden in place.

" How dare he?" Jaden snarled, his Asian accent more noticeable. " How dare he say that! I've had these cards for years! They were a gift from my friends! How dare he say that about my cards!"

On the screen, Aster was oblivious to Jaden's fury. He continued with the interview as if he had no idea what his words were doing to the Slifer in question.

" Now, love me or hate me, you have to admit that I'm the best."

" I'll admit no such thing!" Chazz shouted at the screen.

" And that's why I'm going to challenge this wannabe. I'll be heading to Duel Academy in the morning, and I'm going to beat the loser who thinks he can get away with copying my deck."

" Oh no he didn't." Jasmine Makita, several rows up from Jaden, whispered to the deathly silent room.

All eyes turned to where Jaden Yuki was being forcibly held in his seat. He'd stopped struggling, and was looking at the smug, challenging smile the pro-star was giving the cameras with something akin to fury in his dark eyes. If he heard Crowler agonizing over his wardrobe, or Vice Chancellor Bonaparte voicing his lack of confidence in Jaden's skills, he gave no indication. Instead, he looked up at his next opponent, and a slow smile made its way onto his face.

" Bring it on."

* * *

Aster was having a good day.

After his crushing defeat of Zane Trusedale, his popularity and rankings in the pro's had only gone up. They'd skyrocketed when the media had spun his story like a bad Hollywood coming-of-age movie. After all, he was three years younger than Zane, and, when compared to the Duel Academy Kaiser, an absolute sweetheart. He would actually talk to the press, he smiled occasionally, and he was courteous when the situation called for it. Really, he had no doubts about why he had been the favourite to win that match, or why he'd risen so high in the eyes of the fans.

He was Aster Phoenix after all.

And Sartorius had finally told him that he was allowed to go back to Duel Academy and prove his superiority over Jaden Yuki once and for all. Coupled with the fact that he'd gotten to have a nice long shower that morning, and his favourite apple and cinnamon muffins for breakfast, Aster was in an extremely good mood as he left his friend's sanctuary. Earlier on in their friendship, Aster had wondered why exactly Sartorius insisted on having a blindingly white room somewhere in the house, but the older he got the more he just grew accept that his friend was a little on the odd side, and leave it at that. After all, the man could see into the future, so wasn't he allowed a few quirked in exchange.

Speaking of quirks, Aster pulled out his cellphone, hitting number three on his speed dial.

" Yeah, it's me." He said when the other line answered. " Is everything ready for tonight?"

" Well, yes, but..." The man on the other end of the line sounded nervous.

" What is it?" Aster paused to lean against the side of the house, smiling up at the sunny day. Sarina's garden was going to be in for a lovely day.

" Sir, are you sure this is a good idea?"

Aster laughed.

" What's not good about it?"

" Sir, it's a very dangerous thing to be doing!"

" It's nothing I haven't done before."

" But Mr. Phoenix!"

" Look," Aster pushed off the wall, wandering the path that led to the driveway, where his limo was parked, " if it makes you feel any better I'll wear a helmet, I promise."

" This really isn't a laughing matter! You could be seriously injured, or even killed!"

" Well then, I guess you better find a way to make sure that doesn't happen."

And he flipped the cellphone shut, sliding into the limo after his driver opened the door.

" Home, please." He indicated. Now, all he had to do was restructure his deck for a while, to get a good feel for it going, maybe have a massage to get rid of the nasty tension building up at the base of his neck, and nap for about an hour or two so he wouldn't be exhausted by the time his duel was done. There was nothing less cool then walking out of the duel arena yawning. He stretched out on the leather seat of his limo, sighing to himself as the weight of the duel ahead of him slowly shifted off his shoulders for the time being.

" Looking forward to tonight?" His chauffer asked.

Without opening his eyes, Aster nodded.

" I gotta beat his punk, or else I look like a total idiot. I mean, we use the same deck and everything, and he's using it wrong. How does that make me look?"

" Aw c'mon, it'll be fine. I mean, who's gonna judge you against him? He's just a kid."

" Older than me."

" So are lots of people you've gone up against and beaten. Look at Zane Trusedale."

Aster couldn't keep the smirk off his face.

" Yeah, well..." He wasn't going to deny it.

" Aster, you're the best. So what if this Jaden kid uses the same deck as you? He's just some no-name at a prep school, and you're an international star. No contest about who's better, Hero cards or no."

Aster sunk completely into the comfy seat under him, his head lolling back as he relaxed.

" Still, it looks bad. And it's the principle of it all too. Plus," here he paused, trying to get his thoughts together, " ...I think I really want to duel him."

" Yeah?" His driver made a left.

Aster sighed sleepily as the car turned smoothly.

" Yeah. There's just...something about him...about the way he holds his cards and makes his moves. He makes me want to duel him."

" Well then, I hope you have fun."

" Mmm..." Aster murmured, leaning his head on the armrest. After an entire morning of press conferences and interviews about his match with Zane, the pro-star was all but worn out.

" Maybe..." he muttered to himself, " ...I can catch...that nap...now..."

Aster Phoenix was asleep by the time the car drove onto the highway not three minutes later.

Of course, that meant that by the time he was scheduled to be at the airport to catch his plane, he'd slept through his entire massage time, and had only managed to fiddle with his deck for about 90 minutes before he'd had to put it into his card holder and get back in the limo for his ride to the airport. And then it was another several hours by plane to his destination, the last of which he had to spend in preparation for his landing.

Strapping the helmet on, while one of the assistants checked his parachute, Aster took a deep breath, and felt the energy jolt back into his body so strongly he had to shake off the initial adrenaline rush. As the clouds under them thickened, Aster laid the board he would be using on the floor, smiling in anxious delight. There was nothing better to clear his head before a match than a quick dive through the clouds, just his board between him the ground below. With hands almost trembling in anticipation, Aster mounted the board, his boots snapping into position as the assistant gave him the clear for his parachute.

" Are you ready, Mr. Phoenix?" The nervous man in front of him asked. Aster nodded. The man nodded, and made to move out of his way, but darted back, wringing his hands and sweating.

" Are you sure you want to do this?"

Aster just nodded again.

" Absolutely sure? Because there's no shame in just calling it off and landing this plane by the docks. It's much safer and-"

" No, I'm going in my way, or not at all." Aster said, pushing the man aside, and leaning his weight on the board. Recognizing his inability to win the argument, the man stepped out of Aster's way, looking over to the cockpit.

" We've reached our target, Mr. Phoenix!" The pilot yelled to him. Aster snapped on his yellow goggles, his heart beating erratically in his chest.

" Are you ready?" The assistant who'd checked his parachute asked, hand on the door release. Aster gave him a thumbs up, and the floor before slowly opened to reveal pure night sky and moonlit clouds. The sight nearly took his breath away, but with one, steadying gulp of air, the pro-star leaned all his weight forward on the board, and slid down the diagonal incline the door had created.

The second he hit the cold night air, a mixture of adrenaline and fear exploded in his gut, narrowing his vision and heightening all his other senses until he swore he could feel every hair that the wind was shoving back. The goggles were pressed into his face, the plastic digging roughly into his skin, but the air was so cold and so harsh that every bit of uncovered skin was numbed out, and the skin that was covered erupted into gooseflesh as soon as the frigid fabric touched it. His cheeks were burning and his eyes were starting to water from the pressure and he could barely breath, the air was rushing so hard against his face that it hurt to open is mouth.

But his heart was thundering like a drum in his ears and he could hear the blood rushing through his body and all around him hundreds of millions of stars splattered across the midnight sky and danced at the periphery of his vision. Aster sucked in one lungful of pure night, sharp and cold like winter starlight and then flung his weight backwards.

He righted almost immediately, and threw his arms out to keep from toppling backwards. It didn't work, and he spun around once, the sea of clouds and sea of stars twirling over each other as a breathless shout of joy left his lips. When he came back around, he waved his arms to steady himself, and the turning stopped, a wave of dizziness from his actions hovering on the edges of his senses. He pushed it back, and squinted into the thick cloud he'd been catapulted into. The wind whistled roughly in his ears, and he became aware of his stinging cheeks and freezing nose and shivering limbs. Grinning, he leaned forward a little more, and propelled himself out of the cloud cover.

The first thing he saw was the deep, haunting blue of the sea, stretching on for what seemed like forever. He was struck, for a moment, by how small he was in comparison to the ocean churning beneath him, it's waves whipped into motion by the moon he was silhouetted, momentarily, against. The great white celestial body was reflected back at him, shimmying in and out of focus as the sea moved around it.

" What a postcard this would make." Aster whispered to the night, completely awestruck by the sight of the south Pacific. And then, just a little bit to the left of his line of vision, a green and brown spot rose proudly up out of the water. At one end, two waterfalls tumbled over the tree-covered cliffs and fell into the ocean below, and on the other, a volcano sent lazy puffs of smoke circling up to greet him.

He hadn't been paying much attention to the island on his last visit, too focused on finding Jaden Yuki and performing the so-called 'test' Sartorius had been raving on about for months. He'd come with a goal in mind, and nothing had distracted him from it, not even the amazing sights all around him. Now though, suspended hundreds of meters above the ground, he stared down at Duel Academy, a white, diamond set against a cluster of emeralds, the volcano rising rusty red and powerful behind it, and an aquamarine lake gleaming before it, and grinned.

" Helluva a view."

He did one more flip for good measure, and to get his usual good vibe before a duel going, and then reached up to yank on the cord of his parachute, drawing in his legs at the same time to push the release button for his boots. The parachute unfurled, caught in the wind, and he was pulled back slightly, watching board continue its descent downwards. With a final whoop and a farewell salute to the rapidly falling board (he'd buy another one once he got back), Aster set his sights on the steadily enlarging school.

He landed the way his instructors had told him to, and pulled the release cord to that his parachute fell away from his shoulders. Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out his duel disk, strapped it to his arm, and then let the pack fall to the ground with a muted thud.

The sound of heavy breathing and thundering footsteps met his ears, and the smirk that lit up his face was just a little unholy.

" Uh-oh, someone's up to no good." He pressed his deck into its correct spot on the disk. It light up, beeping once to indicate that it had been activated. " Must be my lucky day."

* * *

" Does this belong to you?"

Aster looked up from the useless thief he'd just beaten. The man was lying listlessly on the ground, twitching slightly and gasping for air. His cards were scattered around him from when Aster had dropped them, sneering out some line about how he wouldn't need them in prison. He'd been all set to just sit back and wait for the commotion his duel with the petty criminal had caused to bring everyone running, and then make a cool introduction, when a clipped, female voice had cut through his musings.

Before him stood a girl about his age. Her long brown hair was tamed into a coiling braid that fell over her left shoulder and hung by her chest, but the bangs that tumbled into her hazel eyes were unruly and curly, and she seemed to be trying to push them out of her face. The jacket she wore around her middle, tied so that it wrinkled the green tank top and black, long-sleeved shirt she had on under it, was bright yellow, marking her as a Ra. Her sneakered foot, peeking out from under the end of her loose jeans, was tapping insistently. Aster was surprised to see no duel disk or cards anywhere on her person, but that was soon dwarfed when he looked at the item she was holding out to him.

It was his board, a little battered and covered with leaves, but still perfectly serviceable.

" My board!" He all but shouted, diving forward to grab it. The girl let it go without so much as a struggle, giving him a look that said she was clearly not amused. " Where'd you find it?"

" That thing nearly took my head as I was walking over here." Her tone was scathing, and Aster couldn't blame her. Having the decency to look shameful, he flashed her a charming grin.

" I'm so sorry about that. I should really have been more careful. Next time, I'll make sure that doesn't happen." He looked at her, expecting that she might still be peeved, but slightly taken in by his good looks and personality.

She was still glaring. That threw him off a little.

" Here's another idea." She growled at him. " Make sure there is no next time."

And then she made to walk past him towards the other end of the marble walkway. Aster grabbed her forearm, turning her to look directly at him. Up close, he could see that she had a dusting of freckles across her nose and cheekbones.

" What, are you banning from the island?"

" Trust me, Monsieur Phoenix, if I had my way, you wouldn't be anywhere near this part of the ocean." Her accent got a little thicker as she snarled the words at him, and Aster blinked, letting her go more out of shock than anything else.

" I beg your pardon-"

But he never got the chance to question the girl's hostility towards him, because at that moment, Jaden Yuki rounded the corner, followed by two boys in yellow jackets, and all thoughts about anyone other than his opponent faded from his head. Jaden looked a little angrier than he had the last time they'd met, but after the comments he'd made, Aster could understand it . In fact, he'd been banking on it. He didn't want some sappy, friendly duel with Jaden Yuki. He wanted a no-holds-barred grudge match, and by the dark look that entered Jaden's eyes as soon as the lit upon Aster, the pro-star was going to get it.

" Come up with a better cover name?" Jaden asked lightly, although the scowl on his face was anything but. Aster winced at the reminder of his stupid antics the week before, but forced a calm smile onto his face.

" Don't need one this time, do I?" He inclined his head mockingly to Jaden. " So Jaden, how ya been, bro?"

" You know," Jaden began casually, sauntering up to Aster, " most of my friends think I should bash your face in for those things you said about me and my deck in that interview."

The threat was placed out in a cool manner, but Aster tensed every one of his muscles, even as the strange blond man in the background nearly went into hysterics. Jaden stopped when he was right in front of the pro-star, his eyes narrowing. He reached up and curled one hand in Aster's collar. He was just a shade taller than Aster, and the way he used it made it look like a mile. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Aster made a mental note to not try so hard to piss Jaden Yuki off in the future.

" And I thought, and lose the opportunity to have such a sweet duel? No way." Jaden let go and stepped back, friendly smile on his face that in no way, shape, or form, reached his eyes. " Count yourself lucky I love this game so much, or you'd be in a world of hurt."

" Is that so?" Aster straightened his collar. " Remind me to challenge you to a fist fight next time."

" So you aren't going to punch his lights out?' Both boys turned to look at the girl. She gave Aster a once over, face blank and arms crossed. Aster gave her a roguish grin, but the girl just shrugged her shoulders, her braid bobbing up and down. " Shame."

And then she turned and walked down the white path, not looking back. She stopped to pat Jaden encouragingly on the shoulder, and then bent down to murmur something in the short, blue-haired kid's ear. Aster watched her go, wondering why, exactly the girl was so furious with him. He supposed he'd find out in the morning.

As it was, he did find out, somewhat. He was waylaid on his way to the duel by two gushing girls in blue uniforms, talking about the robbery night before and thanking him for foiling it. He was just in the middle of signing one of the photos they'd brought along, when a familiar voice had interrupted his thoughts yet again.

" Jasmine, Mindy, are you guys actually doing this?"

She was standing with her hands on her hips, lips curling in disgust. In broad daylight, he could see her better. She was paler than he thought someone living on a tropical island should be, but she appeared healthy enough. Her freckles were more obvious, and when she tossed her head in anger at the two other girls, he saw little glints of red shoot through the brown braid.

" Pick your jaws up off the floor, you're embarrassing yourselves." The redhead hastened to gather her wits, while the dark haired one just sort of shook her head to clear it and smile politely back at him when he handed her the autograph.

" Really," he smiled at them both, " it was my pleasure. Nothing worse than a lowlife who thinks the can get away with ripping others off."

" Uh-huh." The redhead agreed with a dreamy sigh. Behind him, Aster could hear the brunette slapping her forehead.

" Thanks for the autograph." The dark-haired girl beamed, and grabbed her friend to pull her away.

" No problem." He waved. The redhead remained rooted in place, staring at him like he'd hung the moon in the sky.

" Don't you two have class or something?" The brunette muttered, rubbing the bridge of her nose as she walked over and stepped in between them. Then she eyed him, with not friendly light in her face. " And don't you have to go be a jackass in a duel?"

" Friend of Zane's, I take it." He grimaced, putting the pieces together.

" Friend, no. Fan, no. Decent human being, yes. Now scram. Some of us have class to attend." She made shooing gestures. Aster blinked, feeling like a child being told to go to his room. No one had done that to him in years, and the motion brought a strange mix of longing and resentment bubbling to the surface. Unprepared to deal with the sudden mood shift, he took a step back, still looking at the girl.

" Lia!" The redhead scolded, and slapped her lightly on the shoulder. The brunette gave a pained sigh. " You shouldn't talk to people like that!" She turned to Aster, rubbing the back of her head. " Sorry about that. Lia's not really...a people person, if you get my meaning."

" I'm a bitch, Jasmine, you can say it." The girl in question interrupted. " I'm a total bitch and right now, my first priority getting to class, not what this prick thinks of me."

" Hey, is that a little unfair?" He asked, sidestepping so as to block her path.

" Probably." She said, and promptly scowled as she failed to get around him. " Do you need something, or are you just pre-programmed to be annoying?"

" Tell me something, what would be better, going to a class about dueling, or actually seeing one?" He grinned at her. She didn't return it.

" Excuse me?" She sounded almost offended.

" Call it a weakness." He shrugged. " But I can't stand it when a cute girl is mad at me. I wanna make it up to you, whatever I did. So you wanna come to the duel? I know I said no spectators, but in your case," he gave her the same once over she'd given him the night before, only it wasn't hostility and repressed rage that emanated off of him, " I think I can make an exception. OF course, both your gorgeous friends are welcome." He winked at the two girls in blue. " So, whaddya say?"

" I'd rather have root canal." She deadpanned and walked away.

At least, she would have, if the redhead hadn't snagged her arm and hauled her back, glaring at her with an intensity that made Aster remember why girls had scared him so much in elementary school.

" What Lia meant to say," the redhead explained through gritted teeth, " was that she'd love to go."

" No I wouldn't!" Her protested were silenced as he dark-haired girl caught on and slapped a hand over the brunette's mouth.

" Yup, she's just shy!" She explained, while the girl struggled under her hand, something like 'I'll show you shy!' escaping in a muffled rush.

" She gets like this around good-looking guys." The redhead insisted. " And she totally wants to go see Jaden duel. He's like, her best friend."

" Really?" Aster raised an eyebrow at that. " I hope she won't be too disappointed when I beat him."

The girl (Lia, that was an unusual name) managed to yank the hand off of her mouth.

" If I go will you all shut the hell up?" She growled. Both of her friends nodded rapidly. " Fine. Whatever." She shrugged out of the redhead's grip and started towards the school.

" See you there." Aster called after her. She turned, and gave him a cold look.

" Look, asshole, I'm only doing this so Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber over there will shut up. I honestly have no interest in your friggin' pride or your cards, or whatever the hell you're using as an excuse to play a card game with my friend. Let me make this abundantly clear, because with the powers of delusion you seem to possess, I don't think this message has gotten through yet: I. Don't. Like you."

And then she turned and stormed off towards the duel arena, muttering angrily the whole way. Behind him, the two girls in blue collapsed into a fit of giggles, and walked off after the girl, their shoulders still shaking. Aster stood for a second longer, watching the figure of the girl vanish into the trees, and cursed, for a moment, his weakness when it came to pretty brunettes.

* * *

Dear everyone. The above jumble of consonants and vowels is the closest I can get to having a line breaker, as the FUCKING SITE JUST KEEPS FUCKING WITH ME!

Seriously! I can't use BOLD and Underlined together, I try to put in two line breakers up at the top, and they delete one and ITALICIZE my entire document, they won't let me put in another line breaker at the bottom, it won't save the underscores I tried to use instead, or the stars, or the zeroes. It won't even let me keep the non-capitalized 'o's I tried to put in.

Huh? Oh, NOW you work! God I hate this editing tool!

Okay, okay, breathe, MoS. Just breathe. Let's do some translations, 'kay?

Kutabat' chimae!" - Fuck you/ you bastard.

" Nani wo iu tennen?" - What the hell are you saying?

senpai! - Okay, if you don't know what senpai means, then really? Go watch more anime. I guarentee it'll come up at least once.

" Ganbatte, Yuki-senpai!" - Go for it/Do your best!

" Kutabare!" - Fucking bastard!

The moral of the story? Don't insult Jaden's cards. It WILL piss him off.

A day in the life of Aster Phoenix. See, I think Aster is less of an antagonist, and more of a cocky, kinda spoiled kid. He's not a BAD GUY, he just needs some sense knocked into him. Sometimes, literally. He's got a good heart, and he seems to want to do the right thing, but he's got too much of an ego, and thinks that he's above the law. Which he isn't, I don't care what Sartorius tells him. Aster's a decent kid, in my opinion. He just needs someone to help him stop being such a dick. Also? He relies WAY too much on the father figures in his life. I mean, Sartorius? The D? One of them manipulated him in order to brainwash the whole world, and the other murdered his father, and used him as a cover-up, because who would suspect him if he was the adopted father of the murdered's kid? Seriously, can you blame the kid for being messed up? I mean, God, in the original Japanese, he doesn't walk in to find his father missing. He walks in to find his father's CORPSE. I've kinda played around with both ideas, as you'll see later. But rest assured, in this version, Aster's not looking for his dad. He knows the man is dead and gone. I will also address the issue of his mother. She's no hell either, believe me. All in all, I want Aster to come off as a cocky KID. Because that's what he is. He's just a KID. Being fifteen is HARD. Going to high school is HARD. I know he's not the most likeable character. Hell, I hated him too when he was first introduced. But later on, I liked the idea of someone who was clearly on Jaden's side and clearly LIKED the guy without having to say it. Aster never fully comes out and says 'Jaden is someone I can and will depend on', but the way he does things for Jaden implies that he does. Plus, he's kinda snarky. I like snarky. But before anybody decides that my version of Aster needs to be blasted with fire (and hell, I made him that way for these first few chapters), remember that he really is just a kid, and Jaden will have to get through to him at some point.

The sky...diving...surfing...thing. Because I love the idea of Aster having a very worried assistant, and Aster just blowing the poor guy off like it's nothing.

" But Mr. Phoenix, I'm serious! You could die.!"

" Uh-huh, yeah, that's great. Let's do this thing!"

Ah, annoying little punk.

And also, if anyone is interested, my profile picture is Lia in her prom dress, designed by Mindy. Yes, that's basically what she looks like in my mind.

MoS


	7. Starting Games

Warnings: A peek into Jaden's head.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

Jaden wasn't quite sure how to feel. On the one hand, an amazing duel with an awesome duelist that was sure to keep him on his toes and give him a run for his money, and that was something Jaden absolutely lived for. On the other hand, Aster Phoenix. On the other other hand, the chance to duel against his own monsters, to see all the quirks and mannerisms another play could bring out in the creatures that resided in his deck. On yet another hand, _Aster Phoenix_.

Jaden wasn't normally the type to hold a grudge against anyone. From his cousin Fuyubi's crazy pranks on his birthdays, to Zane's cruel words to Syrus the year before, to Kagemaru's insane plans involving unleashing three of the deadliest monsters to ever exist, Jaden took it all in stride, searching for the silver lining he'd been taught always lurked on the outside of the dark cloud. He found a reason behind every action, a greater purpose to be served, and used that knowledge to give strength to his dueling and cheerfulness to his demeanour. He didn't like going into a duel, especially one that promised to be incredible, with a dark cloud hanging over his head. It was just bad karma, and if there was one thing Jaden hated, it was bad karma.

So he'd tried really hard not to meet Aster in the duel arena with a grudge in mind, but the pro-star was proving, time and again, to have a thing for making that difficult. It was as if he went out of his way to antagonize everyone, putting them on edge. If it was some kind of game strategy, Jaden had to admit that it was a good one, because just the sight of the younger boy had him grinding his teeth together. He was so smug, so arrogant, so completely sure of his victory. It was as if he'd taken the personality Zane had possessed the previous year, upped the arrogance dosage to near fatal levels, and then donned it like an obnoxiously loud-coloured shirt. It was beyond annoying and beyond irritating and almost beyond Jaden's ability to cope with.

But he was Jaden Yuki, and no amount of psyching out was going to get to him.

(It hadn't worked when Chazz had tried it during the School Duel, and it hadn't worked when Professor Banner had tried in that last, lethal match, and it certainly hadn't worked when the Beasts had laughed at all the pain and suffering they'd all had to go through in order to get their friend back. He'd held out his hand to Chazz and hauled him out of that dark place, because Chazz was his friend whether he liked it or not, and Jaden wasn't about to sit back and watch the older boy destroy himself; he'd called Banner out on his lies, because there was something inside him that whispered that there were certain things no mere mortal could control, and one other them was him and another was his dueling and that was the end of it; he'd forced the shadows the Beasts had sicced on him back with a power he hadn't known he possessed, every nerve ending in his body burning and screaming as something rose up inside him and closed a hand around Syrus and _pulled_; Jaden had learned long ago that there was very little he couldn't do if he put his mind to it,)

So he breathed in deep, squared his shoulders, and let his anger at Aster slowly seep out of him. The boy was a bastard, and a prick and a hundred other dirty things that he deserved to be called out on, but none of that meant a thing in the duel. The only thing that was going to matter in hand-full of minutes was how the pro used his cards, and whether or not he treated them with respect. Jaden had gotten the feeling that he didn't care about the ones he'd used to duel him last time, but those had just been a bunch of cards he'd thrown together into a deck maybe 15 or 20 minutes beforehand, so Jaden could somewhat understand his lack of attachment to them. But if he treated his real cards like that, there would be hell to pay.

Winged Kuriboh shimmered into existence by his shoulder, cooing worriedly.

" It'll be fine, I promise." Jaden reached up and stroked one of his partner's wings. The monster cooed happily at the attention, but still narrowed its huge eyes in anxiety.

" I'll be careful." Jaden assured. " I won't drop my guard for a moment." He gave his spirit one final pet before heading into the arena. The technicians were still setting up, screwing in a long, thick cable into one of the outlets at the base of the platform. Jaden carefully stepped over it, smiling when one of the two men, dressed in white, gave him a nod.

" Good luck, kid."

Jaden waved at him as he climbed the stairs.

" Will do. Thanks."

Across from him, Aster was slowly walking in, waving to the stands. Over on his side, Mindy and Jasmine were fawning, their eyes starry and glazed. Jaden sweatdropped, feeling a little abandoned, until Mindy caught sight of him and began to wave enthusiastically, a big grin stretching across her pretty face.

" Hi Jaden!"

The Slifer waved back.

" Hey Min. Can you see okay?"

The dark-haired girl giggled.

" Just fine. You're such a sweetheart." She paused for a moment. " Good luck! Sorry about this." She indicated to her choice of seats. Jaden shook his head, waving it off.

" Hey, you do what you gotta do."

" That's so cute." Aster took his position across from him. " Girlfriend?"

Jaden wrinkled his nose.

" No way. Can't a guy be friends with a girl without liking her?"

" Dunno." Aster shrugged. " I'm not really interested in relationships. Gotta think about my career."

" I can admire that." Jaden slipped his cards into their slot. Aster did the same. A strange feeling passed through Jaden as he looked at the cards. Something shifted restlessly in the back of his head, and he pressed a hand to his temple, trying to settle his thoughts down. It passed in second, and he was left wondering what had just happened. Aster had finished setting up, and was glancing over into the stands behind Jaden. His face was impassive as looked over each of Jaden's supporters, until he seemed to reach the last seat of that section. His eyes lit up devilishly, and, without any warning, he winked and blew a kiss to someone over Jaden's left shoulder.

The air immediately dropped and a familiar, crackling energy filled the room. Turning around, his eyes fearful and very wide, Jaden was met with the rare, but no less terrifying sight of an utterly enraged Lia Shanner. Her eyes were sparking and shooting dagger, her fists were clenched at her sides, and behind her, Jaden swore he saw the Fires of Hell begin to rise up. The last time she'd gotten so angry, Tanya, the Amazonian Shadow Rider, had been trying to convince Bastian to marry her.

But despite her obvious fury, Lia's cheeks were rosy red, and Alexis was looking between the girl and Aster with a knowing look. Lia, catching the way Alexis was regarding her, pulled back her lips in a snarl, and jumped to her feet. Before either Hassleberry or Syrus could pull her back down, she bent her right arm at the elbow, as though to shake her fist, but then grabbed the inner side of her bent elbow, and shoved her fist towards Aster. Then she sat down with a huff, crossed her arms, and looked away, cheeks still painted pink. Beside her, Alexis blinked.

" Mademoiselle!" Bonaparte shrieked in shock, and the gathered company, the two duelists included, turned to look at him. His face was pale, from the look of horror on it, Lia had apparently crossed the line.

" Le bras d'honneur ce n'est pas approprié pour une salle de clase!" He shouted.

" Ce n'est pas une salle de clase, c'est un arène de duel!" She snapped back at him.

" C'est une salle pour les étudiants duellistes!"

" Je suis une théorique! Alors, je ne me soucie pas ce qui est approprié dans cet endroit!"

" Tu devrais te soucier! Si tu est une duelliste ou une théorique, tu est une étudiante en cette école, et tu doit suivre les règles!"

" Est-ce que vous avez vu qu'il a fait?"

" Ce n'est pas le question maintenant. Le bras d'honneur est un geste impolie, et tu ne l'utiliseras jamais dans ma présence. Est-ce que c'est clair?"

" Oui, monsieur." Lia muttered sulkily. Aster, who'd been watching the verbal sparring match with mild interest, turned to Jaden.

" So, what exactly were they saying?"

Jaden shrugged.

" Hell if I know."

" Ah." Aster seemed content with the answer. He gestured to his duel disk. " Shall we?"

And Jaden grinned at him the tension that had been building in the back of his neck slowly loosening and falling away like a discarded shroud. He was back in his natural environment, right where he belonged. There was a duel disk strapped to his arm, a deck of cards at his beck and call, and an opponent, fearsome and strong and unbeaten, at his front, goading him into an attack. The world, tipping dangerously on the edge of blind rage and hatred, righted itself with stunning force, and everything Jaden knew and loved fell back into their appropriate spots as the duel disk lit up and beeped once. (Syrus was smiling worriedly at his back, and Chazz was complaining about being forced to watch the Slacker duel, Alexis had her hands clasped together, and Bastian was rattling off stats in order to keep himself calm, and Lia was staring at the two duelists, utterly lost and not understanding what was going on. But Syrus would be cheering himself hoarse soon – Hassleberry might join him – ,and Chazz would be trying to hide his delight at watching Jaden pulling through just when everyone thought he was a goner, and soon Bastian's stats wouldn't mean a thing because Jaden always defied them, and Alexis would jump up and down and hurl insults at his opponent because she had a temper and she always lost it mid-fight, and Lia would be snapping pictures at exactly the right moment without realizing it, capturing the beauty and majesty of the duel she couldn't follow technically but loved visually forever on film, and he would hear them all, cheering and shouting and laughing and his world would be perfect, if only for a moment.)

Jaden shifted into position, bracing his legs in case an explosion shook the arena, and let his fingers slide over the familiar backs of his cards as he drew them. Across from him, Aster did the same, and Jaden slipped back into that easy, comfortable place he went to when he dueled.

" Get your game on!" He shouted joyously, and beside him, Winged Kuriboh gave an encouraging coo, fluttering its wings and glaring, as much as something so cute could, at Aster Phoenix. The effect was somewhat lost on the boy who couldn't see spirits, but the feeling was what counted.

Jaden gave a grateful grin to his duel spirit, and regarded Aster as the boy made the first move. Seeing Clayman appear before him sent a nasty jolt through his system, but he held back the wince that threatened to twist up his features.

' _So that's what it looks like when I play him._' Jaden thought, taking in the large, brown Hero. ' _This is way Clayman looks like to an enemy. Aster's going to show me what it's like to be my own enemy._' A slow smile made its way onto his face. Aster seemed a bit put off by it, because he frowned as soon as he got a good look at Jaden's face, but the Slifer couldn't care less.

" This," he whispered to no one in particular, " is gonna be interesting."

* * *

Alexis felt her heart jump into her throat as soon as Clayman appeared on the field. There was such a wrongness to it, watching Jaden being forced to fend off his own monsters, that it almost made her physically sick.

This wasn't how this year was supposed to go. After the turbulence of the last year, after Shadow Riders and Sacred Beasts and getting back the brother she'd loved and lost, after losing Syrus to the darkness and risking everything to bring him back, after Titan's brutal assault on her deck and the choking mist rising around her again, after Lia's blood-curdling screams and terrifying coma, after all that pain and suffering, this year was supposed to be gentle and soft. There weren't supposed to be any complications. Jaden would show up, smiling and happy, and breeze through the duels snobby, uneducated Blues challenged him to, unable to stand that a Slifer could go so far. Syrus would come along, happier and freer than ever, standing by Jaden's side or loafing around with her, talking about cards and smiling down at Power Bond, no trace of fear in his eyes. Maybe he would be a little shook up from the Beasts, and Alexis would never hold that against him, but he'd be safe and sound with his friends, who could and would protect him from anything. Bastian would be brainy and insufferably all-knowing, talking about stats and plans and strategies, refusing to believe in the Heart, even though it had shown itself time and again whenever Jaden needed it. Maybe he'd finally pull his head out of the sand and realize that there was a cute girl giving him hopeful looks. Lia herself would be less prickly. She'd insult the freshmen and she'd put that wicked tongue to use if anyone dared to mess with her friends, but when she was alone with them, her jibes would become playful and her barbs would become harmless and she'd just be a teenaged girl again, laughing with Alexis and telling Jaden to study and picking fights with Chazz because that was the only way those two could talk. Chazz would be sitting with them, far enough away to not be pulled into their warmth, but close enough to be one of them, still uncomfortable anywhere but on the fringes of their friendship, unsure of how to handle people who didn't give a shit about his money or his brothers' power.

They'd come together like a well-oiled machine, laughing and joking and slowly relieving each other of the scars that were bound to have shown themselves over the summer, when each of the group was away from the relative safety and comfort of their friends. Family was wonderful and their old friends who didn't come to Duel Academy were nice to catch up with, but there were some things that couldn't be talked about unless they were with the people with whom they had shared it.

As such, Alexis couldn't talk about how Atticus had come back, or how the Sacred Beasts had nearly drained the world dry, or how Titan had challenged her to one last duel and then made the mistake of purposely messing with her monsters.

Because amid shadows and twisting, angry mist that threatened to curl up around her and choke off her air again, Alexis had felt the hologram of her Cyber Tutu pulse with life under her hands, and everything, in that instant, had changed beyond repair.

Her Cyber Tutu was _real_.

It began at the edges of her vision, after that duel. Just a dancing figure, twirling around in the corners of her eyes, dogging her every step like a strange stalker. At first, she'd been horrified, too nervous to talk to anyone. She'd been emotionally drained by that point, what with her brother's waking and Syrus' return and Lia's awful coma. She'd been so scared and so freaked out that when Atticus had vanished yet again, just after she'd finally gotten him back, she'd taken it all out on Chazz and had stormed recklessly into the woods, anger blinding her and her own, thundering heart making her deaf. She'd been easy prey for any duelist that night, and she could only thank her lucky stars that it had been Banner, who was only pretending to be the bad guy, who'd found her.

She'd come to in that murky bubble, a soft voice in her air and a warm hand on her shoulder. She'd shaken herself awake, confused and disoriented, and turned over to see who was rubbing her back soothingly.

Cyber Tutu had smiled perkily back at her, almost bouncing in delight when she saw her mistress was awake.

Tutu spoke in breathless little whirring sounds. Her speech manner wasn't really so different from Winged Kuriboh's (nothing had shocked the Queen of Obelisk Blue more than the day after she'd been set free of the bubble, had looked over at Jaden, and seen the fluttering furball flying in frantic circles around the Slifer's head, cooing happily. She was pretty sure her jaw had hung open, and she'd had to rub her eyes several times before she'd believed what she was seeing), the main difference being that Alexis could understand her monster. While Winged Kuriboh's cooing noises flew right over her head, Tutu's wordless whispers instead changed into sentences and thoughts in her mind, automatically translated by some power Alexis didn't understand.

She supposed it was just one more thing attached to being able to see duel spirits.

So when his own spirit appeared at Jaden's shoulder, pointing a clawed leg at Aster with a worried expression, Alexis paid attention. If she looked behind her, she was willing to bet that Chazz was probably doing the same. In fact, if she focused, she could just barely make out the hushed whispers of the Ojama Brothers as the leaned into Chazz's ear, murmuring fearfully about the aura coming off of Aster's deck.

" _It's not good."_ Cyber Tutu said softly into Alexis' ear as Phoenix Enforcer arrived in a shower of light.

" What isn't?" She whispered back, not taking her eyes off the duel. Jaden had made a good play for his first move, knocking down Aster's points like that, but there was something about the cockiness in the pro-star's eyes that made Alexis nervous.

" _His deck. His cards." _Tutu pointed at Aster. _" There's something wrong in those cards. They feel all cold and burning."_

" How can something be cold and burning at the same time?"

" _No, not...wrong words."_ The spirit paused to think. _" Cold like...not like, cold weather, cold like...cold on the inside."_

" Unfriendly, cruel?" Alexis tried to understand. Cyber Tutu nodded.

" _Ugly and misshapen, on the inside. Twisted around." _She shuddered. _" I don't like it. I never want it. Tell me you won't burn."_

" Burn?"

" _Like those cards. They're burning. All cold on the inside and blazing on the outside. It's not a good heat. It's searing, like a fire is eating away at them. Promise me you'll never do that. Promise me you'll never burn."_

" I promise." Alexis murmured, and reached out a hand. Underneath her splayed fingers, Cyber Tutu shimmered in, transparent but still warm, smiling up at her gratefully.

" _Good. I never want you to burn."_

" I don't want you to burn either." Her attention was stolen away as Flame Wingman exploded into a thousand little shards of rainbow coloured light, and vanished off the field. The resulting wind left Jaden to brace his legs back against the platform, his arms up in an attempt to shield his face. Alexis felt her heart leap into her throat again, and had the distant thought that, if this was how she was going to react every time Jaden took a hit in the duel, she was in for a very jumping morning.

" Way to one-up me, bro." Jaden said with a grin, but it was just a little faker than his normal one, and Alexis grimaced.

" Really, you were expecting something different?" Aster laughed, and it was just as fake as Jaden's smile. " Our decks are _similar_, not the same, and not even close to being equal."

" Here we go." Chazz muttered darkly as Aster launched into a speech he'd clearly written beforehand about their decks reflecting who they were and what made them duel, and how his was the superior deck. It might've caused more than few complaints from the crowd (several of which would probably have gotten physical- Hassleberry seemed ready to jump right out of the stands and take a swing as Aster), had Lia not, without meaning to of course, broken up the tension.

" How come Jaden's monster is dead, but Aster's is still standing?"

" Because Phoenix Enforcer can't be destroyed in battle." Bastian explained. Lai blinked.

" Why?"

" That's it special ability."

" Isn't that kinda unfair?"

" No, it just means you have to be smart in order to destroy it."

Lia furrowed her brows, looking upset.

" You know what I miss? Go Fish. It was a simple, fun, and _harmless_ card game. No one was ever forced to save the world by playing a game of Go Fish."

" Jee, I wonder why." Chazz said snidely. Lia turned to say a biting comment back, but was distracted as Jaden played a card.

" Hey guys, the blue guy is there now."

" Bubbleman." Syrus filled in. Lia scowled.

" Look, you guys can drill me until you're all blue in the face, it won't help. Those names just don't stick in my head. And now the green guy is back." She paused to think. " Does that mean he's gonna pull the darker blue guy out and make all three of them merge to make ThatOneGuy?"

" So please give a big Duel Academy welcome to the Elemental Hero Tempest!"

" That's it." Lia nodded as Jaden shouted. All around her , her friends froze, and, as one body, turned to look at her.

" How did...you..." For once, Chazz seemed to be rendered speechless.

Lia leaned back in her seat.

" I can't remember their names, I'm not stupid. I can pick on what Jaden's doing, just not how or why."

" That's..." Alexis searched for an appropriate word. " That's...something." With a shake of her head at how Lia still managed to surprise them all, Alexis turned her attention back to the duel, just in time to see Tempest score a blazing hit on Phoenix Enforcer. And while the monster was still standing after the assault, the counter indicated that Aster's lifepoints were nowhere near as invincible as his monster.

" Alright Jaden!" She shouted, pumping her fist in the air. " You show that arrogant bastard who's boss!"

" Good show!" Bastian echoed her encouraging sentiments. Hassleberry and Syrus got into a bit of shouting contest, each trying to outdo the other in terms of volume and attention, and Lia just started clapping, smiling blankly.

" Good job on...whatever you just did."

Alexis laughed, and looped an arm around the younger girl.

" You'll get it someday, I promise."

Aster had just pulled his card, the smile on his face instantly dampening their spirits.

" Well, would you look at that." He held up the card he'd just drawn. " Here's a card we haven't seen in a while! Polymerization!"

" Omigod, look at that. There's something I haven't seen in while! A complete douche!" Lia mocked his tone, her eyes glaring at him. Alexis held up her hand for a high five, which the younger girl gave. Aster looked over at them, and gave a mocking salute. Alexis had to hold down Lia's arm before she made the obscene gesture again.

" Really, Lia, the French equivalent of the Finger isn't going to help us here."

" It'd make me feel better." She almost sounded like she was whining. Alexis just shook her head.

" Watch the duel and laugh when he loses lifepoints. You'd be surprised at how cathartic it is."

" If you say so." Lia leaned back against the seat, and relaxed against the arm around her, only stiffening when Aster had his Shining Phoenix Enforcer (it _was_ a stupid name, Alexis decided, scowling) attack and destroy Tempest. Jaden, to his credit, was actually snickering as the explosion faded.

" Heh heh...Shimmer Kick...heh, Shining Finger...Domon." He shook his head, smile still on his face. " Never mind."

Alexis blinked in confusion, not quite sure she understood the joke, but decided that it didn't matter as long as Jaden kept making moves like summoning Shining Flare Wingman to the field, giving it the Light Laser, and playing Sky Scraper just in the nick of time to finally get rid of Aster's monster.

So it was rather unfortunate that, coupled with with Jaden's offhanded comments about the fact that he was having a great time, it was enough to set Aster off.

* * *

Hello everybody! Here you are, chapter 6! Technically 7! But who cares? It's something for you to read.

The long awaited first duel between Aster and Jaden has finally arrived. This chapter is mainly for Jaden and his reasoning. Next Friday, we'll get a little more on an introspective on Aster. Personaly, my favourite line in this chapter is: On yet another hand, _Aster Phoenix_. Because really, that just about sums up everything Jaden is feeling at this point. Sweet, an awesome duel with a pro that will test my limits and make me work for any victory I happen to get! But I still have to deal with that prick...

I like my somewhat angrier, somewhat less innocent Jaden. It makes interactions with other characters more fun, because not only does he now understand that he's being insulted, he will not take that from them. So yeah. Aster's little speech about his cards and monsters being better, and Jaden's just being cheap imitations? That's not gonna go over too great.

Now, how about some translations?

Le bras d'honneur ce n'est pas approprié pour une salle de clase!" - The 'Arm of Honour' is not appropriate for a classroom!

" Ce n'est pas une salle de clase, c'est un arène de duel!" - This isn't a classroom, it's a duel arena!

" C'est une salle pour les étudiants duellistes!"- It's a room for the dueling students!

" Je suis une théorique! Alors, je ne me soucie pas ce qui est approprié dans cet endroit!" - I'm an Academic! So, I don't care what is appropriate in this place!

" Tu devrais te soucier! Si tu est une duelliste ou une théorique, tu est une étudiante en cette école, et tu doit suivre les règles!" - You should care! If you are a Duelist or an Academic, you are a student in this school, and you have to follow the rules!

" Est-ce que vous avez vu qu'il a fait?" - Did you see what he did?

" Ce n'est pas le question maintenant. Le bras d'honneur est un geste impolie, et tu ne l'utiliseras jamais dans ma présence. Est-ce que c'est clair?" - That's not the question right now. The 'Arm of Honour' is an obscene gesture, and you will never use it in my presence. Is that clear?

'La bras d'honneur' is basically the French equivalent of giving someone the finger. You can even give someone the finger while doing it. Either way, it's considered extremely impolite, and Lia is lucky she got off so easy.

Also, Bonaparte addresses Lia with 'tu' and 'tu forms' of the verbs because she is a student, and younger than him. Lia tends to use the politer 'vous form' even when speaking in her own age group. If she doesn't know a person, she will usually use 'vous', unless she is deliberately trying to be rude. She feels comfortable enough with her friends to use the 'tu' form, but Bonaparte is her teacher, and she's required to use the 'vous' form. When I was in grade 9, I had to drill myself to use the 'vous' form with my teacher, because in grade school. we had all gotten away with addressing our teachers with 'tu'. Now, I find the 'vous' form easier to use than the 'tu' form.

Heh heh...Shimmer Kick...heh, Shining Finger...Domon - G Gundam. The main character's attack is basically translated into 'Shining Finger.' When I found that out, I couldn't stop laughing. And as you will remember, Jaden watched a mecha marathon before going back to school. And he hasn't had time to see any shoujo to drown it out. He's still got gundam on the brain.

I think that's it for this week. Come around next Friday to find out about Aster's motivations, and a twist ending to the duel that I don't think you'll see coming!

MoS


	8. Frustrating Finale

Warnings: Yeah, I kinda went a little nuts with this duel. Let the fucking over of a majority of the main cast...begin.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

" What is _wrong _with you?" That was their first hint that Aster had hit his boiling point. The second was his narrowed eyes, the third his flushed face, and the fourth the way he had finally dropped his arrogant smirk and had started scowling. The fifth and final hint was when he unleashed a tirade on his opponent that both Jaden and his friends thought was completely unwarranted.

" You think this is all some big joke? That this is all just a fucking _game_? You think you can just walk in here, using the monsters and magic cards I s_pecifically_ chose to match my goals, and still laugh it off? You make me sick! Some loser wannabe duelist from a stuck-up prep school with no idea what the world is really like, using _my _cards? You honestly think I'd just sit back and _take_ that?

" I spent months searching for just the right cards! I needed them to be everything that I represent, everything I stand for in the world. I'm dueling just for the hell of it, _Jaden_! I'm not in it for the 'fun' you keep going on about. Dueling is serious business for me. It's everything. I'm dueling for every person who's ever been wronged before! I'm dueling for every store that's ever been shoplifted from, every bank that's ever been held up, and every person who's ever been mugged in a dark alley at night! I am their avenger, and these cards are my weapons to that end!

" I'm dueling for justice, Jaden, but I don't expect someone like you to understand that. You're just some goofy kid who thinks that these cards look cool, so you use them. You have no _idea_ of how much they mean to me! You could never know! This deck is my destiny! I was always supposed to have it! And I am not about to let some no-name bastard like you just waltz and make a mockery of everything I've worked so hard to achieve!"

In the ringing silence as Aster finished his rant, a pin could've been dropped and the second it hit the ground it would've exploded like the blast of cannon fire.

The people in the stands were frozen in shock. Even Jasmine and Mindy, usually gigglesome and bouncing, were absolutely still, too frightened by the sudden outburst. Lia was pressed against Alexis' side, the older girl's grip having tightened automatically as the volume of Aster's voice had gone up. Beside her, Hassleberry had shifted just a little so that he was ready to dive in front of the two girls in case the pro-star's anger became violent and physical. Syrus had a hand on Alexis's shoulder, his eyes wide behind his glasses, his eyes riveted to the scene before him. In the row above, both Chazz and Bastian sat with their mouths hanging open, Chazz's arms still folded over his chest, and Bastian's hands gripping the back of the chair in front of him.

But the most surprising reaction was Jaden's.

The Slifer blinked as the pro-star finished, tilted his head back, and showed the blank, almost cold expression on his face.

" Are you done?" He didn't wait for the answer. " Good. Let me clear one thing up. You can mock me, and you can mock this school. It's no skin off any or out noses if you like us or not. Your opinion doesn't mean jack to us, so get over yourself already. But here's what you don't get to do, _kohai_. You don't get to tell me that my cards don't me as much to me as yours do to you. Ever. These cards were a gift from my friends. Jishin, Natsuki-chan, and Akimi-chan all spent months saving up the money to buy this deck for me. These cards mean the world to me, because my precious friends got them for me. So you can take your over-inflated sense of vengeance over them and shove it."

There was another stunned silence, before Jaden motioned to Aster.

" I'm sorry, I interrupted your turn. Go ahead make your move."

It was probably Jaden's casual tone and easy dismissal of his ran that spurred Aster into action.

" I'll show you exactly who was meant to own this deck!" He yanked a card out of its slot, and gestured to the face down he'd placed beforehand.

" Thanks to you destroying my Phoenix Enforcer, I get to use this trap card." The card flew upwards, revealing a picture of a teacup filled with tea, and a white, stylized 'D' floating in it. " This is the D-Time trap card, and with it, I can unleash the Destiny Heroes."

" The what now?" Syrus asked, leaning forward.

" What is he talking about, Bastien?" Lia asked her fellow Ra. The British boy shrugged.

" I haven't got a clue."

" You don't _know_?" Lia's jaw seemed ready to drop. She turned to her other friends. " Can one of you explain what's going on to me?"

" Sorry Lia. I'm just as in the dark as you are." Alexis said without taking her eyes off the duel. Below, Aster's new card shattered Sky Scraper, sending jagged shards of glass and metal raining down until they vanished into little pixels of light. All around the two duelists, a tower encased courtyard rose up, the pride and joy being the massive clock toward at the front.

" You see, Jaden, these are the D-Series Heroes, secretly created by Industrial Illusions and never released to the public." Aster's smirk had grown. " My own personal army."

" You just get more and more twisted by the second." Jaden muttered. The clock above then tolled midnight, and somewhere in the stands, Lia shuddered.

" Jaden, there's someone I'd really like you to meet." Aster's face was lit up in a dark smile. He gestured upwards, towards the top of the clock toward, and to Jaden's amazement, the heavy clouds parted to reveal a massive, cloaked figure who stood, silhouetted against the moon. Jaden gulped.

" This," there was no mistaking the pride in Aster's voice, " is my friend, the Destiny Hero Doom Lord."

" Oh, that name doesn't sound very promising." Jaden muttered.

" What are you talking about? He's got tons of promise." Aster mocked.

" I meant for me."

" Got that right." Aster pointed at Jaden's monster. " Doom Lord, show this freak what the D-Series is made of!"

" Isn't it weaker?" Lia asked, clenching her hands in the material of her tank top. Alexis nodded.

" And that's what worries me."

" This monster must have some strange kind of special ability." Bastian agreed, narrowing his eyes. " Otherwise, Aster would never have sent it to attack a clearly stronger monster."

" Unless the stress has finally caused him crack." Chazz cut in. " But really, do you think we'd ever get that lucky?"

" Hasn't happened yet." Muttered Syrus.

On the field, the Doom Lord enclosed a massively clawed hand around Shining Flare Wingman's throat. The Wingman gave it one last glare before it vanished in a flash of white light, tiny gold sparkles falling from where it had stood.

" You didn't destroy it, did you?" Jaden's voice was grave. Up in the stands, Chazz remembered purposely shooting down Jaden's monsters, and then remembered the fury with which the boy had responded. Shaking off the memory of those enraged brown eyes glaring at him (into him, really. Past his bravado and his cruel words and his scoffs at friendship, right down into his shrivelled up little soul. Jaden had the most frightening ability to look right inside you and see you for what you were, heart and soul. And it had terrified Chazz back then.), the older boy squinted at the spot where Shining Flare Wingman had stood.

"It wasn't destroyed." He murmured. " It's just...not there anymore."

" Yeah, because that makes sense." Lia scoffed.

" Hey, bitch, I don't see you trying to explain what just happened."

" I'm not above admitting what I don't know."

" You know what else you're not above-"

Whatever Chazz had been ready to accuse Lia of was never to be discovered, because Aster chose that moment to answer their questions.

" He's not gone. Doom Lord just sent him two turns into the future. He can do that every turn. So it's bye-bye Wingman until later."

" I'm sorry." Lia leaned forward in her seat. " But could explain that in terms that actually make _sense_?"

" Shanner, sit down, and shut up. He's not gonna explain it any better."

" Get bent, Princeton."

" Bite me."

" Gross, I don't know where you've been."

" What exactly are you implying, Shanner?"

" You want me to say it flat out?"

" At least then you wouldn't be the only flat things around here."

" That's it!"

" Princeton, Ah am warnin' ya, apologize rahght now! That ain't no way ta talk ta a lady, and if you're mama raised you rahght, you aughta be ashamed of yourself right now!"

" Ah, guys?" Syrus said warily, sweat dropping as Lia tried to get out of Alexis' hold and attack Chazz. The group looked at him, both Chazz and Lia clearly upset that they were being forced to stop. " The duel?"

" Not now, I need to beat the shit outta Chazz."

" Oh, you're welcome to try."

" Thanks."

" Ouch!"

" Lia, stop beating up Chazz. Chazz, stop provoking Lia. There is a duel going on that involves our friend. The least we can do is show our support and pay attention."

" Listen to Bastian, Lia."

" Lexi?"

" Don't ever use that tone with me again."

" Ah, guys!" This time Syrus sounded scared. Out on the field, Doom Lord was still standing, but around him was the fading light that signalled that he'd just been summoned. Next to him stood an overly muscular redhead in black shorts, with strange, green attachments on his arms and tall, matching boots.

" What in the world..." Hassleberry muttered, and Lia nodded.

" Diable?"

" I'm lost, what happened?"

Syrus wasted no time explaining, even as Aster summoned another monster, this time a tanned blond covered in rocks, to the field.

" The one with the red hair is Captain Tenacious, another Destiny Hero. Aster to use him to bring back Doom Lord when Jaden used Rottweiler to destroy him. Then he just summoned _another_ Destiny Hero called Diamond Dude " –here, Lia snorted- ", and then used his special ability to send his Misfortune spell card to his Graveyard until his next turn." An explosion of light and smoke rippling over Jaden's side of the field. " And now Diamond Dude just attacked Rottweiler, and Jaden is down to 2200 lifepoints."

" Nahce summary, Trusedale." Hassleberry said, looking a little taken aback.

Lia rubbed her temples, trying to process all the information and match up the names to the monsters she saw in the duel arena.

" My head hurts." She muttered. And then looked up just in time to see Jaden getting socked in the face by a monster as assumed was Captain Tenacious.

Jaden grunted as the fist of the huge monster connected, and pain exploded along his jaw. Closing his eyes against it, he felt himself lift off the ground by the force of the punch, and was thrown backwards. Landing awkwardly, he bit back a yelp as his arm twisted painfully under him. Shooting into a sitting position as soon as he could, he pulled his arm back around, rested it in his lap, and rubbed it. Once it seemed to be okay, he reached up to his jaw, wincing as the tender area throbbed up his intrusive touch. Opening and closing his mouth proved to be a rather unpleasant sensation, but after doing it several times, he got used to the feeling, and, still holding his aching jaw, he got to his feet.

" Oh, would you look at that, another turn is over." Aster set a face down." Time sure does fly, doesn't it? Unfortunately for you," he looked at the rapidly turning hands of the clock, " time is on my side."

" Yeah, the clock puns got old after you made the first one." Jaden winced as he opened his mouth. " Can I have my turn now?"

" Sure, fine." Aster shrugged. " It's not like it'll matter."

" Great." Jaden pulled a card. " Well, I'm gonna summon Bubbleman, and not repeat what his special ability is, because that would be stupid. Then, I used Bubble Blaster to double his attack points, and attack Captain Tenacious." Jaden grinned just a little as his monster took aim. " Now then, Bombarding Bubble Barrage!"

" Not happening!" Aster shouted. " Sorry to burst your bubble, but D-Shield Activate."

" Oh crap." Jaden muttered as the monster lowered itself so the green pieces coming off of its arms formed a shield around it. As the attack hurtled forward, the rocks from the ground beneath it rose up to create a second barrier, and by the time Bubbleman's attack arrived, it was easily deflected.

Jaden twitched as the attack failed, something inside of him giving way at the smug look on Aster's face. There was something very wrong in this duel, something that was getting harder and harder to pin-point. It wasn't so much that he was losing; Jaden had never been a bad sport. There was something in the way he was losing. Something about how each of his moves amounted to nothing. Something about how for every strategy he tried, Aster had one to counter. Something about how ever though he got his Wingman back, it was turned against him and taken from him before he could even really feel its presence at his side again. Somewhere, in the back of his head, he heard Winged Kuriboh give a worried shout and bit the inside of his cheek. There was something very, very strange about this duel, almost as if...

_There are no choices._

Winged Kuriboh was fluttering franticly by his ear, cooing and desperately trying to tug at him, along he had no physical form. Jaden was aware, distantly, of making moves. He was aware of pulling a card and siccing Bubbleman on Doom Lord. He was aware of Aster gloating about the clock tower and snarling defence of his Destiny Heroes when Jaden contested his claim that they were the best in the game. He was even aware of Doom Lord coming back and sending Bubbleman away, and Captain Tenacious getting Ring of Magnetism.

_Freedom is just an illusion_

The voice, echoing in his head, was just so distracting. It was so soft that it barely classified as a whisper, and Jaden had to strain his ears to hear it, but it was definitely not a hallucination brought on by stress. Because Jaden didn't hallucinate in the middle of duels. He shouted and grinned and made his opponent uncomfortable with the amount of fun he was having, but he didn't zone out, because duels were what he lived for, and Jaden knew that for a fact.

So the voice had to be real. But it wasn't coming from Aster and it sure wasn't his own internal monologue, so that only left some strange, outside force as the culprit. But none of that was really helping him, because the clock had just struck midnight again, and the entire arena was starting to swim in front of his eyes.

" Sorry, bro," the term could not have sounded any more mocking, " but I'm the one calling the shots from here on in." Jaden gritted his teeth, because Aster's voice sounded much too distant and much to muffled for it to bode well. " Sorry if you feel out of control."

_There are no choices._

And somewhere in between him getting rid of Captain Tenacious, and playing Fusion Gate to undo the stupid clock that was keeping Aster from losing even a single lifepoint, Jaden's head began to ache, the pounding reaching way down inside of him. And sometime around the part where Aster starting yelling about how he'd manipulated all of Jaden's actions, the pro-star's voice was lost under the ripples of pain that were exploding outwards from the center of his head.

As Dread Master, the hulking mass of muscle and chains that he was, rose to a standing position behind his master, destroying the Avion Jaden had forced him to summon, Aster's explanations were all but lost on Jaden. The pain was blinding him, and with each pulse it only seemed to grow, rushing down from his head to chest, so fast he experienced vertigo. His limbs shook and bile rose in his stomach, hot and burning, and his vision of the horrific thing in the mask behind Aster swam in and out of focus. Unbidden, the memories of the crypt came rushing back the surface, his throat aching at the very thought of it.

_As the breath escaped him, something coiled around his middle, pulling him upright (but what was upright? What was up and down in this insane, spiralling world that he couldn't see?) as he struggled to take another breath._

_The stuff (he was beginning to wonder if it didn't somehow resemble the black mist Lia had complained about when he'd dared to question her about the thick, purple marks that branded her pale throat) slid over his mouth, covering it, choking off his air._

_He scraped his already bleeding fingers uselessly against the rock, trying vainly to push the pain out with each little dig he made into the sacred stone and its carvings._

_A cold, steely hand closed around his neck._

_It dangled uselessly at his side, drops of red falling from the fingers that were twitching in residual pain._

_**" **__We'll tear your head from your neck! We'll rip out your innards and strangle you with them! WE WILL PULL YOUR BEATING HEART FROM YOUR RIBS AND DEVOUR IT IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES!"_

_Trickles of red leaked down his arms, and stained his white pants. The shadows curled closer, traveling up his body, merging together into a great, shifting mass of darkness that squeeze at his lungs and pulled at his throat._

_" They ripped my clothes and they made me bleed and I thought for sure that I was going to die in that crypt!"_

" _You will never be free of us! NEVER!"_

_But, against the sombre, silvery gray backdrop of the light, Jaden's eyes glowed gold._

_**Come and open your eyes, Jaden. Open them and see the light.**_

And as white light exploded before his vision, something in the back of his mind reared up and shoved back, and that was the last thing Jaden knew.

* * *

Lia had never thought she'd see the day when she trembled in front of a duel monster. As much as her friends loved the game to bits, and as much as Jaden and Chazz and now Alexis talked to the thin air, the fact remained that all of the monsters she saw were little more than holograms, made up of light and pixels and not solid in the least. Of course, the solidness came into question whenever she witnessed a hologram throwing a very flesh and blood duelist over and into a wall, but she usually let those questions slide and moved on as she hadn't just seen the laws of reality get defied.

But in her eyes at least, Dread Master lived up to his name.

She choked when she saw him, gasping in a panicked breath as the thing (there was no other way to describe it. Sometimes, she thought it was unfair that clearly humanoid creatures got called such an ugly word as monsters, but looking up at Dread Master, she found no other label for him. That mass of hulking muscle and wicked chains and hideous mask could only be called a monster, because it certainly wasn't a man by any stretch of the imagination) reared up and let out an earth-shaking roar. Her shoulders trembled, and she leaned more into Alexis. On the other side of the field, Jaden was pressing his one hand against his temple, his face screwed up on pain, and his teeth grit.

Lia's heart went out to him.

She barely heard Aster rant on about how his purpose was justice, and that's why he was going to win. All she saw was Jaden beginning to shake, his breathing laboured and his whole body tense and angry. She didn't care that Aster was calling Jaden a whole bunch of awful names, or that he'd seemed to have finally lost it.

Because for Lia, in that moment all there was was Jaden.

He had been her first real friend. Maybe she could talk to Alexis about girly things that freaked her out, and maybe she could be a little more open with Syrus about the insecurities they shared, and maybe, just maybe, she would work up the courage to talk to Bastian about flowers and chocolates and lazy, romantic strolls down the beach in the moonlight. But there was one person she trusted to guide her if she went astray, to hold her hand and pull her back onto the right path, and that was Jaden.

Jaden had saved her when she'd been going under, surrounded by her thorns and her anger and her stupid, selfish desires. He'd pushed aside every barrier she'd thrown up to stop him and made his way deep into her heart. He'd given her his hand when no one else would, and somewhere along the way, he'd gone from being just the annoying guy sitting next to her to her very best friend.

Jaden was her hero.

He fought against every odd that was thrown at him. He protected his friends and risked it all to save them. He believed in himself and his cards. He was everything Lia one day hoped to be.

And right now, she wanted nothing more that to dart out and stand by his side. An insane desire to run out and jump between him and the Dread Master that scared her so much it shook her form. She knew it would be pointless, and she knew it would only cause trouble later, but she wanted to, so badly it made her limbs shake and tears spring up in her eyes. And she might've done it too, might've hauled herself over her seat and down the stairs, and up over the barrier to his side and taken the brunt of the blow for the only person who'd ever tried to save, if the pain hadn't started.

Panting with effort to keep from screaming out, Lia leaned a sweaty forehead against the back of the seat in front of her, her hands twisting in the green fabric of her tank top. All around her, the frightened gasps and disbelieving whispers of her friends made her head spin more than it already was, and her stomach churned. The skin under her hands, where the small, circular marking that had caused Yasmin to murmur such strange things in her ear as the Gravekeeper lay dying was, burned feverishly. As one of her convulsing fingers brushed over it, she felt something wet trickle down it into her palm, and frantically pressed her right hand against it to stem the flow of blood before it could stain her outfit.

Aster shouted something else, and there was the rumble of something moving, and an accompanying roar that made her teeth rattle despite the way she was tightly pressing them together. Another wave of pain shot through her, and she silently pleaded with whatever god might be listening for the duel to end so, because her ears were starting to ring. Under her other hand, she could feel her heart thundering, beating so fast and so hard she thought it might actually try to burst through her ribs and out of her chest. With each pound it gave, the pain intensified until she couldn't even hear Alexis shouting in her ear.

" Make it stop." She whimpered pathetically, and her palm felt sticky and wet.

So Lia didn't actually see her hero lose. Her face was still pressed into the seat in front of her, leaving sweat stains as she shifted to and fro, trying to push the ache out of her head. Her eyes were screwed up shut, and she was all but deaf to the world around her, her senses too consumed in her pain to take note of the duel.

So she didn't see Jaden plummet forward, his card scattering and his hands flying to his head, slapping over his eyes.

But she felt, as the pit of her stomach dropped out from under her and the world seemed to tilt on the wrong axis, spinning counter clockwise for a moment.

And surprisingly, she heard it too, when her searing pain was echoed by the agonized scream that tore from Jaden's throat.

* * *

Okay, I owe you all an explanation. Well, this weekend, my friends dragged me out camping, because I've never done it all before. Me being me, I slept in pretty late, and, while I was packed the night before, had to leave pretty soon after breakfast to catch the bus. I came back today, having eaten smores, and been eaten alive by the mosquitos, but the bus got caught in even worse traffic than it had going up, and I didn't get to eat until about quarter to nine. Then I had to unwind a little, and this is the first free moment I've had all weekend. On the plus side, I had a really awesome weekend with my friends that I haven't seen since I left residence back in April. Sol, fair is fair, right?

Anywho, here is the next chapter. I'm working towards the end of this year right now. As you can see, I've played around a little with the fact that Sartorius put the Light into Aster's deck, and how Jaden got blinded, which was never really explained in the dub, if memory serves.

Also, Jaden's friend Jishin is a refence to the manga. Jishin has multiple meanings, one of which is 'earthquake'. In the manga, Juudai's deck includes the rare 'The Earth', a card from the set of cards named after the planets in our solar system. He got it from the man who taught him how to play Duel Monsters, Kouyou Hibiki. There's a whole big subplot there in the manga, but in this story, there's just a refence. And Kuusouno Natsuki-chan was mentioned!(Kuusou is 'fantasy. Fully name meaning: Summer season of Fantasy). Together with Ohwaza Akimi-chan (Ohwaza meaning 'a bold move. As such, Akimi-chan's nickname is 'Aka-chan', meaning 'red', because it's a bold colour. Natsuki is usually called 'Shoka-chan', which means 'hot summer', because of her temper.), Aumisa (Au is encoutner or meeting, and Misa is from 'misao' meaning chaste and pure. In other words, ' Meeting in a chaste and pure Spring time) Haruka-chan, and Jaden's cousin Fuyubi-chan, these girls are known as 'The Four Seasonal Beauties of Sokai Junior High' (Sokai means 'a cherished hope'). They are a terrifying force to be reckoned with, and Jaden is right to fear them and all they stand for.

And a look at how Lia sees Jaden, because I've left that so ambiguous up until now.

Well, I'm tired, so I can't really think of anything else that you couldn't pick up on yourselves. See you this Friday.

MoS


	9. Earning Scorn

Um, so uh...is everybody mad at me, or something? 'Cause, like, no one reviewed last week. Sorry about being late with it. Was it really that bad? If you all hated it, at least TELL ME! Don't leave me in suspense! (BTW, even if you DO hate it, I'm almost done the whole Year so, uh,...not much can be changed at this point without fucking up the whole plotline...sorry.)

Warnings: Lia is not amused. Not in the least. Aster is in major SHIT.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

Aster had known it was going to be a good day, but he hadn't known how good.

Dropping in to Duel Academy as he had done had been enough to get the fire in his blood pumping, and his pre-duel spat (well, it hadn't been so much of a spat as a friendly, pre-duel trash-talking, and even for one of those, it had been light. Aster had honestly expected at least one punch to be thrown, and had been pleasantly surprised to find out that he would be going into his duel the next morning without a black eye or swollen cheek) with Jaden had only gotten him all the more eager to take down the no-name loser who'd dared to use the deck Aster himself had hand-picked to avenge his father with. Throw in the fact that Duel Academy seemed to be _brimming_ with cute girls in short skirts, and Aster had decided that he was going to have a good day.

Dueling Jaden had been unlike dueling anyone he'd ever gone up against. Even Zane Trusedale had eventually folded under the truth that fate was dictating every one of their movements, and it was Aster's fate to win. Where other opponents had thrown in the towel or lost all desire to fight, Jaden had simply laughed off his loss of points, grinned in the face of Aster's inevitable victory, and gone so far as to call his Dread Master 'cool'.

Aster, slowly starting to walk away, wasn't sure whether to be impressed or insulted.

And then there was the matter of that horrifying scream the boy had given seconds before passing out as his lifepoints dropped to zero. The screeching sound of it, like nails on a chalkboard, kept echoing in Aster's ears, like a record that was stuck in a continuous loop. It made his stomach drop out from under him, a sick, swooping feeling that made his want to run to the nearest bathroom and throw up. The sight of the Slifer, his hands pressing against his eyes and his head thrown back in agony, was etched into Aster's memories. The thought that he had been the one to cause someone to react like that was enough leave a bitter taste in his mouth, but he shook the feeling off, reassuring himself that there was no way he had done that to Jaden Yuki. An avenger he may be, but cruel he was not.

So he turned and walked away, not seeing Jaden fall to the ground, unconscious, his cards fluttering to the ground around him. He was already listing off all the things he needed to do once he got back, and grimaced when he thought of the number of duels that had probably piled up in his brief, but inconvenient, absence (after all, he had just beat Zane Trusedale. He was going up in the rankings and his popularity was soaring. Everyone wanted to duel him, and while he couldn't blame them, even he could get worn out after a while.)

" Hey!" An angry voice stopped him in his tracks. Turning, he found himself face to face with a furious blonde girl. With effort, he recognized her as one of the people who'd been sitting on Jaden's side of the arena. Her hands were on her hips, and her brown eyes, narrowed in anger, were glaring at him so hard he thought he might burst into flames.

" What the hell did you do to him?" Her voice was quiet, but it had been Aster's experience that the quieter the voice, the thinner the ice he was on was. He didn't need clarification as to who it was she was referring to.

Putting on his best calm face (despite the nervous jitters on his stomach. He'd been decked by a girl when he was a kid, and she had looked at him the exact same way this one was looking at him now), Aster turned fully around to face her.

" I have no idea what you're talking about." Her glare intensified. The cocky tone might not have been the best way to go about answering her.

" Jaden." She said through clenched teeth. Aster noticed that there were natural highlights in her blonde hair as she leaned closer. " What did you do to him?"

" Nothing." Aster frowned, upset by the accusation. He was a duelist and a vigilante, not a monster. He'd been just as freaked out by the way Jaden had reacted as anyone in the room.

Apparently, the girl wasn't about to buy that.

" Bullshit!" She snarled, surging forward to grab his jacket lapels and haul him up to look him directly in the eye. She was several inches taller than him, and if he'd been a little frightened before, he was completely intimidated at that point.

" You did something to him, didn't you?" She shook him. " You did something that made him scream in pain! Did you want to win _that_ badly? Enough to do _that_ to my friend?" She gestured over her shoulder, where Aster could see the group of people who'd been in the stands gathering around the unconscious Slifer. The blue-haired kid who'd been with him last night had put Jaden's head in his lap, and was shaking him lightly, calling out something that sounded like 'Aniki' as he did so. The other Ra boy was crouching down, taking Jaden's pulse with a grim look on his face. The dark-skinned boy with the bandana tied on his head was sitting by Jaden's feet, looking worried and restless, as he shifted his weight back and forth. The one in black was standing a little apart from the group, glaring down at where Jaden lay, but ever so often, glancing over in his and the blonde's direction. In between him and the downed boy stood the brunette from the night before, one hand clutched to her chest, staring at Jaden with a lost expression on her face. She was biting her lower lip, and Aster winced as she bit through the skin, and thin ribbon of blood trickled down her chin. As he was watching, the two girls in blue came hurrying over, the redhead dropping to her knees beside the dark-haired Ra, reaching for the pulse at Jaden's neck, while the other girl darted over to the brunette and put an arm around her, coaxing her until her lower lip, red and slightly swollen, popped out from under her teeth. Aster blinked, and his vision was filled with enraged brown eyes again.

" Whatever you did, you had better just _pray_ it didn't cause lasting damage, because if there's even one hair on his head out of place when he comes to, so help me..." She left the sentence hanging, the fist she'd shoved in his face message enough. He shoved down the urge to gulp, and forced his hands to reach up and break the grip she had on his jacket.

" Touching." He managed to keep his voice even, though her eyes flashed dangerously, and he knew he was playing with fire. " But I really didn't do anything."

" You expect me to believe that?" She snapped, and Aster felt righteous indignation flare up in his chest.

" Look, nothing happened. I just dueled him like any guy would. I had nothing to do with his little freak out at the end."

" He was screaming." She snarled, her voice dropping into a growl. " He was screaming and he was dueling you, and trust me when I say I've seen some weird things happen in duels. I've seen someone get turned into a doll when they lost, and I've seen someone get eaten alive by shadows when they duel. I've even seen someone being taken body and soul at the end of duel, begging and pleading. So don't tell me what happened to my friend has nothing to do with you, because you were his opponent, and Jaden wouldn't start shrieking in the middle of a duel for no reason!"

She was panting at this point, and for the first time, Aster saw the tears that had gathered at the corners of her eyes. They threatened to start tumbling over, spilling down her cheeks and ruin her tough girl facade, but she was doing her best to keep them at bay. It struck Aster that while he didn't know Jaden as a person from a hole in the ground, the Slifer clearly meant a lot to this girl. And, judging from their varying expressions of worry and raw panic, he meant a lot to the group of people gathered around him as well.

An ugly feeling of guilt rose in his gut. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. Sartorius had never said anything about Jaden getting hurt. The first thing he was going to do when he got back was ask his friend about the turn of events, and find out what had happened to Jaden. Of course, that meant getting past the angry girl who was still staring down, her eyes daring him to deny his involvement again.

" I honestly have no idea what happened. One second he was fine, and the next he was losing it. I did nothing to bring that on." He narrowed his eyes. " It's the truth, believe me."

" The truth, huh?" Her lips curled into a cold smirk. " Coming from a prick like you, that word means jack shit."

That got Aster angry. He considered himself to be an honourable man, and listening to the girl's slander of his character and his honour as a duelist was starting to get on his nerves.

" Listen, toots, I really don't give a crap if you believe me or not. I know what I did, and what I didn't do, and the latter includes not doing anything to your no-talent, deck-copying loser of a boyfriend over there!"

" He's not my boyfriend! Jaden is an important friend to all of us, and-"

" Yeah, yeah, how dare you beat my friend, blah, blah, blah." Aster interrupted, feeling vindictive. " Look, I've heard this same sob story a hundred times before. The fact of the matter is that the friend you are so adamant to defend just wasn't good enough, okay? He fell short. He couldn't measure up to me and he got exactly what he deserved." Aster glared at her. " He got beat. What happened after wasn't my fault. I just came here looking to beat the guy who was using my deck. And I did. And if I had my way, I would've beaten him much sooner, and much quicker, but the loser got a few lucky shots in beforehand. I was destined to win, either way, so don't go screaming at me for playing the game better than that wannabe ever could dream of doing, got it?

" Why you-!" And the girl whipped her hand back, curling it into a fist. Aster realized his mistake of word-choice and braced himself for pain.

Only to have it not happen as the boy in black quickly strode over, and grabbed the blonde's arm before it could snap forward and send her fist barrelling into Aster's face (and god, what a tragedy that would be. After all, his face was, after his dueling skills and incredible style, his best feature; while a fight would sound good in an interview, a black eye was not attractive, and getting one from this girl would only add to that traumatizing memory).

" Alexis, that's enough." The boy said calmly in his gravelly voice. The girl whipped her head to the side to look at him, resentment clear on her face.

" Chazz!" She yelled, struggling to free her arm. " What the hell do you think you're doing?"

" C'mon." He gave the arm a tug, but the girl resisted, still glaring.

" Let me hit him, Chazz! He deserves it, after what he did! You saw Jaden's face! He was in serious pain, and this guy is the cause, so let me show him what happens when you mess with my fri-"

" He's not worth it Lexi!" The boy, Chazz, finally shouted, his eyes gleaming. The girl, Alexis, froze in shock, her struggles ceasing. Chazz continued, looking right into her eyes. " He's scum and he's a bastard and he totally deserves it, but he isn't worth it, and Jaden wouldn't want you to get in trouble over him!" His eyes softened slightly. " And I don't want you to get in trouble because of a guy like this." He jerked his head at Aster. " No matter what he's done."

Aster ground his teeth together at the insinuation. Apparently, no one at this school was going to listen to reason.

" C'mon, let's go see the Slacker." And Chazz started to lead her away. But Aster wasn't used to being dismissed so easily, and the urge to get the last word in finally overtook him, and he opened his mouth, regardless of the consequences.

" For the last time, I didn't do anything to Jaden!" He was ignored, and that just set little sparks of anger zinging through his blood. " Maybe he just couldn't take losing."

That stopped them dead in their tracks. The people gathered around Jaden froze too, looking up at Aster with disbelieving eyes. The part of him that balked at kicking someone when they were down let out a howl of protest, but he was blinded by his fury at their refusal to believe that he was innocence, and the fact that they had all so easily forgotten he was there.

" Maybe the shock of realizing what a nobody he really is just didn't sit right with him." He continued one, ignoring the way their blank faces were slowly turning to fury. " I had nothing to do with it. He had his little episode all on his own. Just goes to show that an amateur shouldn't be messing with someone who's way out of his league."

" Listen you bastard," the blue-haired kid started, " you don't know anything about Jaden."

" Yeah, so kahdly shut the hell up 'fore I march on over there and shut your gaping pie hole for ya!" The boy in the bandana shouted in agreement, his eyes shifting to a brighter green in the lighting as he turned to face Aster. " You ain't got no rahght ta say things lahke that about the Sarge, understood, maggot?"

Aster carried on, pretending he didn't notice the way the temperature of the room seemed to drop with every word that came tumbling out of his mouth. He wanted to stop, but he was on a role, and who were these school-brats to tell him that he couldn't bad mouth his opponent? He wanted to shove the truth they refused to see in their blind faces: He hadn't done anything to Jaden Yuki, besides beat him into the ground in the duel he'd already known he was destined to win.

" I know enough. I know he's a loser, I know he was destined to lose, and I know that I achieved my goal- beating the punk who thought he could get away with playing the cards _I_ was meant f-"

SMACK.

He was cut off as something connected viciously with the side of his face, sending him reeling to his left. His cheek was stinging something fierce, and he could actually feel the blood rushing to the abused area and the skin starting to swell up. He tried to regain his foot, even as his whole body went tumbling down, but something curled around his tie and yanked him forward, leaving his choking as the tie constricted around his throat. Coughing and gasping for breath, Aster cautiously opened one eye.

And was met with a pair of burning hazel eyes.

The brunette from earlier had crossed the room from where Jaden lay and had stormed up to him when he hadn't been paying attention. He'd apparently touched one of her nerves, because from the stinging in his cheek and the fury barely restrained in her eyes, he surmised that she hadn't just slapped him: she'd backhanded him as hard as she could.

There was a single moment where time seemed to be suspended for an hour, and Aster was forced to recognize that the fearful boy looking back at him from the reflection in her eyes was in fact what he currently looked like.

Then she spoke.

" Taises-toi." She whispered, and it was deadly. Aster, while unable to understand the command, took it to mean something along the lines of him being quiet. When she continued, he got the feeling that she wouldn't have stopped even if he _had_ protested.

" Peux-tu voir ce homme là-bas ? Peux-tu le voir ? Cet homme, cet homme que tu as vaincu, il est plus d'un homme que tu. Il est courageux, et gentille, et tous sortes de fantastique. Il est un héro pour beaucoup des personnes dans cette école. Il est un héro pour nous, et il est un héro pour moi aussi. Nous le aimons, avec tous de nôtres cœurs. Et tu ? La personne qui a vaincu notre héro ? Ce qui est tu ? Tu pense que tu es fort et courageux et magnifique. Tu pense que tu es la personne le meilleur en monde. Tu pense que tu es le héro dans cette histoire. Mais je sais la vérité. Tout cela est mensonges. Tu es vraiment un lâche, qui se cache derrière ses monstres. Tu a besoin d'utiliser les autres pour sembler fort. Tu n'as pas les amies, tu as les instruments. Une personne comme tu me rende malade !" She spat suddenly, pulling on his tie until she was glaring right into his eyes. Her voice had risen by now, and under the hoarse ring of anger, it threatened to crack with the tears she wasn't letting fall.

" Tu pense que tu es stupéfiant ? Que tu es une célébrité qui peut faire ce que tu veux ? Je te dirai ce que tu es. Tu es rien ! Absolument rien ! Un dégoûtant, mou parasite qui fait mal en les autres ! Je vois quel tu es, je vois le vrai tu, et je ne suis pas impressionné. Tu es un ver, qui crawle en la boue et la crasse. Tu es un trompeur, complet d'air chaude, parlant de tes exploits et victoires, a se cacher ton vrai, faible toi. Tu es un tyran, en poussant les autres dans le coin pour déguiser la vérité : Tu es faible, tu es seul, et tu n'as pas le pouvoir de protéger quelqu'un, n'en fais pas toi-même. Et tu faire pour te sentir meilleur, tu fais mal aux gens. Tu trouves les personnes au duel, et tu agis comme il est le destin, ou les étoiles, ou quel se soit qui a voulu que tu as gagné, mais la vérité est tu es une secousse qui aime regarder les gens perdent. Tu es dégoutant, et je ne peux pas te regarder sans me sentir malade ! Comment un monstre comme tu entrais jamais dans cette école est un mystère. On ne devrait pas permettre aux gens comme tu au duel. Tu en prends tout l'amusement et l'esprit sportif loin ! Tu ruines un sport magnifique avec ta cruauté ! Mais ça ce n'est pas la chose pire que tu as fait.

" Tu as fait mal en mon ami pour ton propre augmentation, tu bâtard. Mais c'était ta faute. Parce que Jaden a des amies qui l'aime, et qui luttera pour il. Et ça c'est la différence entre tu et Jaden. Il n'y a personne qui viendra pour t'aider. Tu seras complètement seul, pour tout de ta vie. Et tu mourras seul aussi, sans quelqu'un qui criera pour tu." She glared at him. " J'aurais pitié de tu, mais tu fais mal à mon meilleur ami, mon héro personnel, et je ne te pardonnerai pas. Alors, taises-toi, tu ver pitoyable. Parce que tu ne l'appelés pas un perdant. Tu ne l'appelés _jamais_ un perdant. Il est plus d'un homme que tu pourrais jamais rêver d'être, et il a plus que tu pourrais avoir ! Il est Jaden Yuki, et si tu essayes de le toucher, tu ne veux pas savoir que je ferai. Je te casserai comme une brindille ! Maintenant, sortez de mon vue, vermine misérable !"

There was a beat of silence, in which Alexis put her hand over her mouth in shock, and Chazz smirked, leaving Aster to gather that they'd both understood at least half of what the brunette had said, and that it wasn't good.

" Sorry, but...what?" Aster finally found his voice, the words coming out small and weak. He was looking at the girl with the expression of someone who had no idea what was going on. Instead of placating her, it only seemed to make the girl angrier, and the force with which she threw him from her was stronger than he'd ever expect her skinny arms to her capable of.

" I said get out of my sight you piece of shit!" She screamed as he was pushed away from her. The pro-star stumbled, his scrambling feet finally finding footing on the cold platform as she turned away from him. His cheek was still aching, and when he reached up to touch it, he felt the swollen skin tingle under his careful, prodding finger.

So much for leaving without scars.

He had just turned to leave when a hand curled around his shoulder and hauled him back around.

" What now-" He started, but blanched when he saw a familiar set of hazel eyes glaring at him.

' _I didn't even say anything this time!_' His mind whined in protest, but that apparently didn't matter to the girl. She yanked her hand back, the same she'd used to backhand him with, and sent a stinging, open-palmed slap searing across his left, currently unmarked cheek. Then she let go, and watched him tumble off the platform, landing in a heap. Looking up at her from his position, the lights above shone through her hair and bounced in a halo off the top of her head. Her eyes flashed scornfully, as though she was looking at the lowliest demon to come crawling out of the pits of Hell. She crossed her arms, every inch of her stance daring him to get up and retaliate, but he didn't. Because with the lights behind her body and the lights in her eyes and snarl on her face, she looked every inch like how he'd imagined the goddess Artemis to look when she caught the hunter spying on her as she bathed. Furious, insulted, and more than ready to destroy the pitiful man who'd dared to wrong her. The image burned into his mind, and he shuffled back slightly, wary and frightened by the way his imagination painted her up (he'd always loved mythology and legends, and had a particular fondness of the heroes of Ancient Greece, but this was the first time it backfired on him, placing a furious deity in the place of the young girl who actually stood there. With her flashing eyes and her body lit from above by harsh lights, Aster supposed that he now knew what the young hunter Actaeon had felt, when Artemis had discovered he'd seen her bathing.) into something both wonderful and fearful. With a gulp, her lowered his head in defeat, and listened to the sounds of her footsteps as she turned on her heel and marched back to where Jaden lay. He breathed in deep, trying to calm his erratic heartbeat.

" That was for Zane!" Her furious voice drifted back to him, and he almost called back in confusion, remembering what she'd said about not being Zane's friend. Then he remembered his stinging face, and decided against it.

' _Smooth Phoenix, real smooth. You really wanna try for a third smack?_'

He ignored the snide voice in his head, and picked himself off the ground, reaching up to assess the damage on his other cheek.

' _Still, that was kinda hot in one of those 'holy shit she's scary' sorta ways. Don't have a clue what she was saying though._' Aster paused. ' _The accent was kinda sexy._'

Then his hand came into contact with something wet, and he yanked it back from his cheek to look at his palm.

Smeared across his skin was a sticky, red stain. The metallic smell drifted up to his nose, and he jumped back from his hand, eyes widening as he realized the implications. Still wide-eyed, he looked over to where she was kneeling by Jaden, her eyes much softer and her lips moving, but her voice not loud enough for him to hear.

" She's...bleeding?" He murmured, staring at her.

" Yo, Phoenix!" He looked up as Chazz scowled at him from the top of the platform stairs. " Take a hint and scram already. You're really not gonna find any fans in this place."

" That girl's bleeding." He pointed to the brunette. Chazz followed his hands, biting off a curse as he saw who Aster meant.

" Fucking-! That stupid bitch!" He turned quickly, the ragged ends of his coat swinging and swirling around his body like a dark cloud. " Shoulda said something."

" Is she okay?" Aster asked, and Chazz raised a brow.

" Oh, what, suddenly you care? Don't try to act all nice now, because it won't work. We'll still kick your ass if come near any of us."

Aster let out a frustrated sigh.

" This isn't about the duel or me or whether or not you like. That girl over there is bleeding, and if you have a problem with my worrying about it, you'll have to take it up with the woman who raised me to care about these sorts of things!"

Chazz just scoffed.

" Yeah, you're a _real_ gentleman alright." He shook his dark head. " Look, Shanner will be fine. She always is. Now get lost!"

" Shanner?" Aster muttered. Then blinked. " Wait, 'always'? You mean this has happened before?"

" Are you deaf or something? I said get lost!"

" You tell me why that girl is bleeding!"

" Well, maybe if you hadn't pushed Jaden so hard, she wouldn't be!"

" What does the duel have to do with any of this?"

" Everything!" Chazz snarled. Aster took a step back, already wary of the volatile tempers the group seemed to possess. " Just back off, alright? We can take care of our own. We always have, and in case you weren't paying attention, you haven't exactly been playing Santa Claus with our group." He jerked his head towards Jaden who was now being lifted so that he could be piggy-backed by the dark-haired Ra. " You messed Jaden up good. Or did that conveniently slip your mind just now?"

" I..." Aster cursed his inability to offer a good rebuttal.

Chazz walked down the stair, veering to the left as he passed the pro-star.

" Look, we'll take care of Lia. We always have, and we always will. Don't stick your nose in where it doesn't belong. She's our problem, not yours, and if you know what's good for you, you'll stay away from her, Jaden and every one of our friends, got it?"

" Is that threat?" Here, at last, was some familiar ground.

" No, it's a fact," Chazz spat at him. " They may be a bunch of Slackers and they may not be the brightest or the best, but they've got guts and heart and that's worth protecting. So you wanna rumble, fine, we'll rumble, but we'll do it the old fashioned way, and I will break your scrawny little neck clean in two." He levelled Aster with a death glare. " Am I making myself clear, or do you need a demonstration?" He cracked his knuckles menacingly.

Aster almost took him up on it. He was frazzled, he was wired, and he desperately needed to relieve some of the awful tension that had all but crashed onto his shoulders following Jaden's collapse. His one cheek was sore and other was swollen, and his masculine pride was wailing at the fact that a girl with almost not muscle mass had put him the condition he was in. He needed to talk to Sartorius about what happened, and that meant at least an hour of trying to decode the riddles and half-truths his friend liked to talk in, which was another headache just waiting to happen. His head was already starting to pound, and he just felt the need to lash out at something before all the tension built up to a boiling point and his head popped like a pricked balloon.

But Chazz had made the offer because he wanted to protect his friends, whereas Aster just wanted to hit something. It wasn't honourable, and it wasn't the right thing, and it certainly wasn't something his father would've approved of if he'd been there to see it.

The last thought was what made him back down, stepping out of punching range, and turnings around, making his slow way out of the duel arena. Behind him, he heard the rustle of Chazz running over to the ground, and Aster let out a long, pained sigh. His cheeks needed ice and his back needed kneading and he needed to just tumble into the nearest bed and sleep the entire morning off like a bad hangover.

" This is exactly," he muttered to himself as he exited the school through the front door, heading down the path that lead to the woods so he could meet up with the helicopter without being seen with an enlarged, pink cheek, " why I hate school."

* * *

And, there you are! The end of the first Aster vs. Jaden duel, a la moi!

There is so much about this chapter that I loved. Alexis' temper for one. She would SO have beaten Aster black and blue if Chazz hadn't stopped her. And that's another thing I love. Chazz. I've finally gotten to the point where I can write him as being part of the group, without compromising his prickly nature. He's one of the them, he's their friend, he will go to bat for them, but he'll do it kicking and screaming and bickering with Lia. Chazz is finally able to be friends with thr group, and yet still be _himself_. " They may be a bunch of Slackers and they may not be the brightest or the best, but they've got guts and heart and that's worth protecting. So you wanna rumble, fine, we'll rumble, but we'll do it the old fashioned way, and I will break your scrawny little neck clean in two." This is one of my favourite lines from Chazz. Why? Because it's so protective, so threatening, and so very him. They ain't the brightest, but their the first people to accept him, so if you wanna mess with the Slacker Club, you gotta go through Chazz. Just...don't tell anyone he said that. Hell, he's even looking after Lia, in his own, twisted way. Lia is 'one of their own'. Chazz was including her in that threat above, whether he admits it or not. Given that he was the first one to find out about her...'condition', Chazz is actually the most in-tune with it. He can tell when she's getting an attack. He can tell when she's hiding the fact that she's in pain. Hell, he can usually tell it'll happen before Lia does. She trusted him enough to tell him about it, and that means something in Chazz's book. He'll never beat the shit outta someone for her like Lexi would, or duel for her honour like Jaden or Syrus would, but Chazz'll protect her in his own way, so subtly Lia won't know he's doing it at all.

And now, Lia's speech. Before I translate, I want you all to know that this speech, this MOMENT, was one of the first scenes I came up with when I thought up the idea of Year One. This scene has been set in stone since the beginning, even if things around it have changed drastically (Jaden wasn't supposed to collapse, the Alexis/Aster shouting match was much more toned done, Chazz wasn't supposed to interfere...). The slap, and Lia making a passionate speech in French have been things I have been looking forward to writing since the first chapter of Year One. And now, let's find out what our favourite Academic was saying, shall we?

Taises-toi." - Shut up.

" Peux-tu voir ce homme là-bas ? Peux-tu le voir ? Cet homme, cet homme que tu as vaincu, il est plus d'un homme que tu. Il est courageux, et gentille, et tous sortes de fantastique. Il est un héro pour beaucoup des personnes dans cette école. Il est un héro pour nous, et il est un héro pour moi aussi. Nous le aimons, avec tous de nôtres cœurs. Et tu ? La personne qui a vaincu notre héro ? Ce qui est tu ? Tu pense que tu es fort et courageux et magnifique. Tu pense que tu es la personne le meilleur en monde. Tu pense que tu es le héro dans cette histoire. Mais je sais la vérité. Tout cela est mensonges. Tu es vraiment un lâche, qui se cache derrière ses monstres. Tu a besoin d'utiliser les autres pour sembler fort. Tu n'as pas les amies, tu as les instruments. Une personne comme tu me rende malade !"

- Can you see that man over there? Can you see him? That man, that man you defeated, he is more of a man than you. He is brave, and kind, and all sorts of fantastic. He is a hero to lots of people in this school. He's a hero to us, and he's a hero to me as well. We love him, with all our hearts. And you? The person who beat our hero? Who are you? You think you're strong and brave and magnificent. You think that you're the greatest person in the world. You think that you're the hero in this story. But I know the truth. All that is lies. You're really a coward, who hides behind his monsters. You have to use others in order to appear strong. You don't have friends, you have tools. A person like you makes me sick!

" Tu pense que tu es stupéfiant ? Que tu es une célébrité qui peut faire ce que tu veux ? Je te dirai ce que tu es. Tu es rien ! Absolument rien ! Un dégoûtant, mou parasite qui fait mal en les autres ! Je vois quel tu es, je vois le vrai tu, et je ne suis pas impressionné. Tu es un ver, qui crawle en la boue et la crasse. Tu es un trompeur, complet d'air chaude, parlant de tes exploits et victoires, a se cacher ton vrai, faible toi. Tu es un tyran, en poussant les autres dans le coin pour déguiser la vérité : Tu es faible, tu es seul, et tu n'as pas le pouvoir de protéger quelqu'un, n'en fais pas toi-même. Et tu faire pour te sentir meilleur, tu fais mal aux gens. Tu trouves les personnes au duel, et tu agis comme il est le destin, ou les étoiles, ou quel se soit qui a voulu que tu as gagné, mais la vérité est tu es une secousse qui aime regarder les gens perdent. Tu es dégoutant, et je ne peux pas te regarder sans me sentir malade ! Comment un monstre comme tu entrais jamais dans cette école est un mystère. On ne devrait pas permettre aux gens comme tu au duel. Tu en prends tout l'amusement et l'esprit sportif loin ! Tu ruines un sport magnifique avec ta cruauté ! Mais ça ce n'est pas la chose pire que tu as fait.

- You think that you're amazing? That you are a celebrity that can do whatever you want? I'll tell you what you are. You are nothing! Absolutely nothing! A disgusting, spineless parasite who hurts others! I see what you are, I see the real you, and I'm not impressed. You are a worm, who crawls in the mud and the dirt. You are a faker, filled with hot air, talking about exploits and victories, to hide your true, weak self. You are a tyrant, pushing others into corner in order to hide the truth: You are weak, you are alone, and you don't have the power to protect anyone, not even yourself. And to make yourself feel better, you hurt people. You find people to duel, and you act like it's detiny, or the stars, or the powers thta be who wanted you to win, but the truth is you're a jerk who likes watching people lose. You're disgusting, and I can't look at you without feeling sick! How a monster like you ever got into this school is a mystery. They shouldn't let people like you duel. You take all the fun and sporting spirit out of it. You ruin a womderful sport with your cruelty. But that isn't the worst thing you've done.

" Tu as fait mal en mon ami pour ton propre augmentation, tu bâtard. Mais c'était ta faute. Parce que Jaden a des amies qui l'aime, et qui luttera pour il. Et ça c'est la différence entre tu et Jaden. Il n'y a personne qui viendra pour t'aider. Tu seras complètement seul, pour tout de ta vie. Et tu mourras seul aussi, sans quelqu'un qui criera pour tu. J'aurais pitié de tu, mais tu fais mal à mon meilleur ami, mon héro personnel, et je ne te pardonnerai pas. Alors, taises-toi, tu ver pitoyable. Parce que tu ne l'appelés pas un perdant. Tu ne l'appelés _jamais_ un perdant. Il est plus d'un homme que tu pourrais jamais rêver d'être, et il a plus que tu pourrais avoir ! Il est Jaden Yuki, et si tu essayes de le toucher, tu ne veux pas savoir que je ferai. Je te casserai comme une brindille ! Maintenant, sortez de mon vue, vermine misérable !"

- You hurt my friend for your own gain, you bastard. But that was your mistake. Because Jaden has friends who love him, and who will fight for him. And that is the difference between you and Jaden. There isn't a person who will come to help you. You will be completely alone, all your life. And you will die alone, without a single person who will cry for you. I would've pitied you, but you hurt my best friend, my personal hero, and I will not forgive you. So, shut up, you pitiable worm. Because you don't call him a loser. You _never_ call him a loser. He is more of a man that you could ever dream of being, and he has mor than you could ever have. He is Jaden Yuki, and if you try to touch, you don't want to know what I will do. I will break you like a twig! Now, get out of my sight, you miserable vermin!

Is she being too harsh? Oh, god, yes. Way too harsh. But bear in mind that the entire group thinks that _Aster_ is responsible for Jaden's collapse, not the Light. They don't even know about the Light yet. Couple that fact with Aster's attitude (yes, he's a prick, and yes, he should've gone there, but he's just as on edge as they are, and both parties are far too wound up to handle what's going on. Nobody's up for diffusing the situation, unfortunately, and something was bound to give. It just happened to be Lia), and it's a wonder she didn't take his head off. I personally like Aster's reaction. I don't whether he's been so thoroughly lost in translation that's it's stunned him, or if he's in shock that some scrawny chick just backhanded him that hard.

Well, I guess I'll see you all next week, so...

Please, please, PLEASE review?

MoS


	10. Terrifying Consequence

Warnings: Jaden can't see his cards. ...There is no way for this to end well.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_. Or Advil. ...Don't ask.

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

If the week following Zane's defeat had been bad, the week following Jaden's had been absolutely abysmal. As if the knowledge that Jaden had actually lost hadn't been enough, there were rumours rapidly circulating about the end of the duel, and how Jaden had collapsed in pain. Some of the more sensational ones claimed that a spy from an underground faction had hit Jaden in the back of the neck with a dart dipped in a rare but very painful poison at the very last second so he couldn't win the duel, and Aster Phoenix would be blamed. Of course, given that this theory came from a group of well-known conspiracy theorists from Ra Yellow (and two very jumpy Obelisks who couldn't look at someone without seeing a hidden agenda), no one really paid much attention to it. They listened to the more reliable sources when it came to news on Jaden's condition.

Of course, those reliable sources were his friends, and they weren't talking.

_Brier was just minding his own business, sitting quietly in one of the chairs as Miss Fontaine darted around the medical cabinet for his prescription, when Jaden, who'd been lying quietly in his bed, sat up with a gasp, his hands flying to his head. Brier jumped, quite forgetting the arm that was resting in it sling and cast, and winced as the broken appendage bounced with him. Miss Fontaine jumped up from the medical cabinet, spilling little bottles of pills all over the floor and sending them scattering as she darted over to the Slifer. Jaden was curled over himself, pressing his head against his knees, muttering darkly in what Brier assumed was Japanese._

" _Jaden, honey, can you hear me?" Miss Fontaine put a tentative hand on his shoulder. Jaden jumped at the contact, letting out a yell. The head nurse immediately retracted her hand, lowering her voice to a slow, soothing pitch._

" _Jaden, sweetie, it's okay now. You're fine. You just took a bit of a spill at the end of your last duel."_

"_Where...?" Jaden's voice was rough and brittle._

" _The infirmary." Miss Fontaine said. " Your friends brought you here."_

" _Water." He whispered again, and Brier, who was closer to the sink, grabbed a glass with his good hand and filled it from the tap. Walking over, he pressed the glass into Jaden's hand, and watched as the boy gulped it down practically in one go._

" _Easy." Miss Fontaine advised. " You've had a rough morning. You were asleep for several hours."_

" _Yeah, and you were pale as the dead!" Brier piped it. Jaden lowered the glass._

" _Brier? 'S that you?"_

_The green haired Ra smiled._

" _Long time no see, Jaden."_

" _Where have you been?" The taller boy's voice didn't sound quite so rough anymore._

" _My family didn't get back from vacation until last week, and I..." He gestured to his arm. " ...Well, I had a bit of an accident."_

" _What happened?" Jaden leaned down, eyes full of concern, and Brier felt his chest warm. Because even though Jaden had just barely woken up, and had suffered such an awful lot himself, he was still putting his friends first._

_Brier was grateful he was able to make his shrug look so calm._

" _Nothing much. Just fell off the horse at my aunt and uncle's. It wasn't a bad break, but it hurts, so I had to get a note from my doctor so Miss Fontaine can give me my pain medication if it gets to be too much."_

" _Sorry to hear that." Jade n carefully slid off the bed. While Miss Fontaine made to stop him, the boy rested his feet against the floor, gingerly putting weight on them, and smiling in relief when they didn't collapse out from under him._

" _You know," he said, standing up fully, "I was really hoping to put off getting myself put in here for another few months. No offense, Miss Fontaine."_

_The nurse shook her head._

" _None taken, Jaden. Nobody wants to be cooped up here for too long. But before you go, I have to do a check-up."_

_Jaden made a face._

" _How come?"_

" _Jaden." Her face was stern. " You collapsed after a screaming fit."_

_Brier looked at Jaden, and saw the boy flinched at the reminder._

" _I'm going to have to make sure nothing bad happened to you at the end of that duel." She continued, putting her hands on his shoulders and making him sit. Then she walked over to the sink, reached in one of the boxes there, and pulled out her stethoscope. Jaden slumped in his sitting position, and Brier smiled up at him._

" _Look at it this way." The Ra tried to cheer his friend up. " At least you didn't break anything."_

" _Can I sign your cast once we're done here?" Jaden asked, smiling over at the short boy. Brier beamed._

" _I'd like that."_

_At that point, Miss Fontaine came back over, her stethoscope around her neck, flat, wooden stick in one hand, and a lollipop in the other._

" _I figured I'd bring up the bribe right away." She waved the candy in his face. It was bright green, and Jaden's face lit up at the sight of it. " If you're good, you get this. Think you can cooperate, Jaden?"_

" _Will do, Miss F!" Jaden responded enthusiastically, and Brier snorted at his childish antics. He quickly hauled up his shirt, and shivered when the stethoscope was pressed against his skin. " That's cold!"_

" _It usually is." The nurse said absentmindedly, feeling around with the cold metal circle, listening intently to the sound of Jaden's heart beating. Jaden fidgeted, clearly uncomfortable with sitting still for extended periods of time. He held his breath when Miss Fontaine asked him to, and he flinched when she moved around to the back, the stethoscope still cold to him. She made him open his mouth, and she looked down his throat, and then she produced a small flashlight from the pocket of her white coat, and went through the motions of looking in his ears and his eyes. By the time the check-up was done, Brier could tell that there were spots dancing in front of Jaden's eyes, if only by the glazed, unfocused look in them, and the way he kept blinking rapidly._

" _Okay, you seem to be fine. I can find any lasting damages. Now, if you could just describe what happened, I can put it in my report." She picked up a clip board that was resting on the small table. There was a pen on it, and she clicked it once. Jaden seemed to shrink in on himself at the question, his brows furrowing as he tried to collect his thoughts._

" _I was...there was this pain, in my head. It started so small, and I just thought it was stress from the duel or something. But then it just got bigger and bigger, and it felt like something was pounding on the inside of my skull, harder and harder, like a drum roll. I tried to ignore it, but it got so bad that I couldn't see straight. Everything was...swimming in and out of focus, and I could barely hear at all."_

" _You couldn't hear?" Miss Fontaine's pen scratched along the paper. Brier leaned over to look at the notes, and grimaced at the chicken-scratch that woman called hand writing._

" _Aster was talking to me, I could see his mouth moving, but all I could hear was this...low buzzing noise. At first, I could hear him, but he sounded so far away..." Jaden shook his head, placing the heel of one hand against his eye. " I just...I couldn't do anything. It hurt so bad I couldn't even think."_

" _And what happened at the end of the duel?"_

_Brier watched Jaden's brows furrow._

" _I...I think...I remember this great big flash of light. It was everywhere. It blinded me for a second, and then my head felt like it was ready to explode, and I just wanted it to all stop. And then there was darkness, and I woke up here."_

_Miss Fontaine scribbled down his comments._

" _Okay, I'm going to look into this. You might have just had an intense migraine, but the flashing lights suggest a possible seizure. Is there a history of seizure related medical issues in your family?"_

" _Not that I know of." Jaden shook his head. " Isn't there usually more to it than just a flash of light?"_

" _What you described could have been a tonic-clonic seizure. There is usually a sense of light-headedness or dizziness, and an intense feeling of foreboding just before the seizure starts. Sometimes, they even lose awareness, which is what seemed to happen to you. They lose consciousness in the tonic stage, and with the skeletal muscles tensing so suddenly, they fall down. The clonic stage is marked by convulsions. It's strange though." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. " You didn't appear to have any of the after symptoms."_

" _After symptoms?"_

" _Usually, the person will enter a deep sleep brought on by the seizure, which you seemed to do, but you woke up without a sense of nausea or confusion as to what had happened. You remembered your experience perfectly. And your tongue wasn't bruised at all, which is what usually happens due to jaw contractions." She shook her head, standing up. " Maybe this was just an isolated incident, brought on by one too many duels."_

" _Huh?" Both Brier and Jaden blinked. _

" _One of the most common seizure triggers is flashing or flickering lights. The holograms you kids use for your duels are just light that is scattered and record to be recreated later. The movements of the creatures, equipment additions, or even field spell changes cause the light they are made out of to shift and flash. It's a wonder more people haven't come in here for this type of thing. That's why the Moto Moch 6 Duel Disk comes installed with a shut down button that is automatically triggered if the duel disk is used more than a set number of times per day." She put her stethoscope away. " It's about time too. Lord only knows you kids are wearing your eyes out. First television, then video games, and now this. Is it any wonder your generation is going blind?"_

_Jaden blinked rapidly._

" _Automatic shut down?"_

" _For safety reasons." Miss Fontaine turned to her office, disappearing behind the wall, and leaving Jaden and Brier alone. A second later, her head popped out._

" _Brier, honey, your medication is on the counter. And Jaden, your friends gathered your cards for you and left them by the bed. I just need to fill out a few forms, fill them, and then you're free to go."_

_Brier nodded and walked over to the counter, where his Advil Liqui-Gels were sitting. Snatching them up, he opened the container, shook a pill out, and popped it into his mouth. Grabbing another glass by the sink, he filled it with water, and took a mouthful, wincing as the pill stuck a little in his throat, and making it painful to swallow. He downed the rest of the water, sighing in relief as the painkiller went down._

" _That's better." He muttered, wiping his mouth on his sleeve, and setting the glass down. Behind him Jaden was being very quiet. It was very unusual, given that Jaden was almost a force of nature, and couldn't keep quiet to save his life. Brier turned to ask, but when he caught sight of Jaden, the concerned question died on his lips._

_Jaden was sitting on the edge of the bed, hunched over, and looking at the cards in his hands. Even from a distance, Brier could see both the cards and the hands holding them trembling. Jaden's eyes were wide, and his mouth hung open in a frown. He was much paler than he should have been, and the shoulders under his Slifer Red jacket had started to shake._

" _Jaden?" Brier said, but the other boy didn't respond. Walking slowly closer, Brier tried again. " Jaden? Jay?"_

_The last one seemed to have got his attention, because Jaden looked up, and the terrified heartbreak in his eyes made Brier's breath catch._

_The Slifer held up a card._

" _Which card is this?" He asked shakily. Brier blinked, not quite understanding what was going on._

" _Jaden, what you talking about? Stop messing with me and let's-"_

" _What card is it?" Jaden almost yelled, his tone so full of panic and his eyes so fearful that Brier decided that whatever was going on, it wasn't a joke._

" _It's...It's Winged Kuriboh, man."_

_Jaden's shoulders shook more violently._

" _Winged...Kuriboh?" He whispered, staring at the card in horror._

" _Yeah." Brier nodded, slowly making his way to Jaden's side. " What's wrong with that?"_

_Jaden shook his head, opening and closing his mouth several times before the words, thick and broken and utterly sick, came tumbling out._

" _I...I can't...I can't __**see**__ it, Brier."_

_Tears slowly streamed down Jaden's face._

" _I can see my cards. They're all blank."_

Miss Fontaine had done another, more thorough check. She'd hooked him up to monitors and tested his reflexes and asked him very specific questions about what he'd seen right before the duel had ended. Nothing had changed. Jaden had a clean bill of health, as far as his body was concerned.

" The only thing I can think of," the woman had explained to Jaden's very distraught group of friends, " is that this is a mental thing."

" What, he's blocking the pictures on his own?" Chazz snarled. " That's bullshit! The Slacker loves those stupid things, he'd never do that!"

" It isn't a conscious thing." She hadn't even bothered to reprimand Chazz's language. " I'm saying that that duel with Aster Phoenix must have affected him more than any of us realized. His mind reacted to his traumatizing experience, and is refusing to let his see the things that caused him such pain. It's sort of a knee jerk reaction for his subconscious, in order to protect himself."

Alexis had opened her mouth to protest, because that didn't sound like Jaden at all, but Chazz, infuriated beyond belief, had beaten her to the punch.

" Shut up! That isn't what happened! The Slacker is alotta things, but he sure as hell ain't a coward, and that's the cowardliest, most spineless thing I've ever heard! The is _not_ what happened!"

Miss Fontaine had looked very taken aback.

" Chazz, I understand that you're upset, but look at the facts. The tests didn't show anything wrong with Jaden physically, yet he claims that all his cards are blank. The only explanation is that he's subconsciously doing this."

" That is _not_ the only explanation! There has to be something else!"

" Chazz, the tests said-"

" Fuck the tests!" Chazz had seemed to be beyond reasoning with. " They're wrong! Run them again! Run them over and over again until you fucking _find_ something! There is no way that he's doing this to himself! So get him on that table and do an MRI or use that flashlight to look in his ear, or something! But don't you fucking stand there and tell me that this is all in his head, because that's not the _truth_!"

" Chazz!" Alexis had shouted, grabbing his arm and hauling him back from where he'd been advancing on Miss Fontaine. Lia had been staring at him, utterly shocked, and Bastian had pulled her to him, as if to protect her from Chazz's rage. Syrus. Who'd been sitting by Jaden as the boy was being examined, had glared at his fellow Slifer for making such a racket, but Chazz had seemed to have forgotten that they were all there.

" It isn't true." He had whispered finally, letting has bangs fall down so that they covered his eyes. " He...He isn't like that. Jaden is not a coward, so you must be wrong, and your tests have gotta be wrong, because Jaden would never turn tail and run away. Not like this."

And then he'd turned abruptly and stormed out of the room, apparently unable to stay there any longer. Jaden, from where he sat on the bed, had watched Chazz go, an apology in his eyes that never got the chance to leave his mouth.

After that melodrama had died down somewhat, and Chazz had spent three hours brooding in his room, listening to angry music with his headphones cranked up to maximum (Syrus knew. He'd gone knocking on the door to tell Chazz to turn it down, but all he'd gotten for his troubles was the volume being turned up) so that no one could disturb him, yet another problem had come up.

The plain truth was that Vice Chancellor Bonaparte wanted the Red Dorm gone, and he was much more manipulative and sinister than Crowler could ever be. While the blond teacher made no secret of his contempt, it was tempered by a grudging fondness he had for watching people succeed when people thought they shouldn't. After the incident with the Shadow Riders the year before, he'd mellowed out some, going as far as acknowledging that Jaden had some skill and an uncanny ability to come through with a win when it counted most. He'd made it very clear that while he was never going to be their number one fan, he was not an enemy of the Red Dorm, and was not going to go out of his way to antagonize it. Bonaparte was another matter altogether. And with Jaden gone, the dorm was done its first and best defence.

They'd been in the middle of a planning session (and an unofficial 'get Chazz out of his room' session that hadn't been going so well. In fact, Lia had actually managed to start an argument with the boy _through_ the door. It had honestly been rather amusing, watching Lia rant and rave at a hunk of wood. It had been even more amusing to watch her get redder and redder as Chazz had shouted back scathing comments from behind the door, until Lia had finally lost it and started beating at the door, demanding that Chazz come out and say some of the comments to her face. And admittedly , some of the things coming through from the other side of the door were so bad that no one the room had thought that Chazz would've said them if there hadn't been about two inches of pure, hand carved mahogany between him and his verbal opponent. Lia had still been pounding on the door when Chazz had thrown it open to tell her to shut up. She'd been in mid swing for another knock, and so, as the door had disappeared from her line of fire, her hand had kept going, and Chazz had been knocked flat on his back, his nose not broken, but bleeding. Later, Lia still stood by her belief that he had deserved it) when the music had started. No one, save for Alexis, had been quite sure as to what was going on. The girl in question had slapped her hands to her forehead, cursing idiotic siblings, and had stormed out of the Red Dorm to meet her brother.

And it had just gone downhill from there.

" _Lexi, I wanna hit your brother." Lia had said calmly as the older boy ranted on about becoming a pop duo with his younger sister. Said younger sister had closed her eyes, the bottom of her right one twitching violently._

" _Get in line." She muttered, bringing a hand up so she could pinch the bridge of her nose. " Atticus, get this through your impossibly thick skull: It's. Not. Happening."_

" _Aw, c'mon! Don't be like that, Sissy!" Atticus entreated, pouting. " Just think of the career we could have. We'd top the charts in a matter of days! And think of all the fans cheering your name!"_

" _Ugh, I think I might be sick." Alexis rolled her eyes._

" _But Lexi!"_

" _No, Atticus."_

" _C'mon, please?"_

" _No way."_

" _Pretty please?"_

" _No. Way."_

" _Pretty please with ice cream and chocolate sauce and a cherry on top?"_

" _No way in hell."_

" _I could actually go for some ice cream."_

" _Yeah, me too."_

" _Atticus, you're a spaz. Syrus, stop agreeing with him, it only encourages him to do even __**stupider **__things."_

" _Aw, that's cold, Kitten."_

" _What have I told you about that name?"_

" _That it's cute and you adore it?"_

" _That I will pull your tongue out and strangle you with it if you don't stop calling me that."_

" _Yeesh, Lia, that's kinda graphic."_

" _Naw, it's cool Lil Trusedale. That's just how she shows love."_

" _You wanna see how I show annoyance?"_

" _Put the book down Lia."_

" _Thanks Sissy!"_

" _I wanna lobotomize him myself."_

" _You're both so cruel! Lexi, how can you say no to an opportunity like this?"_

" _Very easily. No."_

" _Fine then, I guess we'll just have to settle this the old school way."_

" _But there's no tree house for me to hang you out of by your ankles until you agree with me."_

" _Not __**that**__ way, the other way!"_

" _You __**want**__ me to chase you around with a frying pan and beat you into submission?"_

" _No! The __**other**__ way!"_

" _...Tie you up, cover you in honey, and leave you at the mercy of the ants in the backyard?"_

" _I mean a duel, Lex!"_

" _Oh! ...Why didn't you just say so?"_

" _I thought it was obvious!"_

" _Not really. I mean, we didn't hit on the idea of dueling to solve our problems until the time I was in fifth grade."_

" _Wait, then how did we settle our differences before that?"_

" _I'd terrorize you into agreeing with whatever I wanted."_

And that was how the siblings had nearly ended up dueling. The match had been cancelled when Alexis, pissed off and ready to do something about it, had casually twisted her brother's arm behind his back, shoved him forward, and grabbed him ankle, effectively dangling off the edge of the cliff by the Red Dorm. Needless to say, Atticus had quickly decided that Alexis was right, he should force her into things she didn't want just for his own gain, and he was very sorry about it. And he had meant what said, and not just because his sister was threatening to drop him three stories.

The only problem was that throughout all the commotion, from Lia screaming at Chazz to Atticus' noisy arrival to the shrieking pleas for his life as Alexis held him over the cliff edge, Jaden never once emerged from his room.

* * *

And here you all are! I just want you all to know, all that stuff about the seizures can be found on Wikipedia. And my friend (the one who dared me to write good GX dub fiction) is the creator of the Moto Moch 6. I, however, thought up the automatic safety shutdown. And I'll confess, I just wanted to see Alexis dangle Atticus over a cliff.

I am in a good place right now. Enjoy the somewhat light note this chapter ended on. Because it's all going straight to hell in a handbasket next week.

MoS


	11. Hanging Moment

Warnings: This is the beginning of the Society of Light. ...This ain't gonna be pretty folks.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_.

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Ligt**

* * *

The short answer of it all was that Chazz was upset.

The long answer involved a long, complex look into his personal history, an in-depth analysis of his psyche and just how much damage his brothers had managed to cause, and several hours of rants filled with words that really shouldn't be used anywhere but in highly intoxicated company.

But the short answer was that he was upset.

Chazz didn't like to be thrown off guard. It made him feel like he wasn't in control, and if there was one feeling loathed above any and all, it was feeling like he wasn't in control. He'd spent nearly 13 years under the oppressive thumbs of two power-hungry sadistic whose brotherly love had only extended far enough to not chuck him into the cold streets to fend for himself whenever he screwed up. He'd had no say in anything, from the clothes he wore to school to what career path he'd have. He'd been told he would achieve success in the world of Duel Monsters from the time he was old enough to understand what the cards were. He'd had his life lain out at his feet, a straight, narrow path with all the stops and landmarks clearly marked. The outline out it was drilled into his head so thoroughly, he could've recited it from memory if either Slade or Jagger had demanded it. And they had. Several times.

Their excuse had always been that all their efforts were 'for the team'. Every time they took over a company, it was 'for the team'; every time they turned a starving family out on its ear, it was 'for the team; every time one of them slapped him in the face, or kicked him in the gut, or, back when he was as much of a kid as he could have been, sent him to bed without dinner because he'd lost, it was 'for the team'. The only things that weren't done for the sake of the team were the things done in the name of 'The Plan', and those were even worse.

For some reason, The Plan called for lying, cheating, and, sometimes, stealing. It called for underhanded deals and cutthroat tactics and more than one hefty bribe in their favour. The Plan was how they would rise up to the top of it all, controlling politics, business, and the most popular children's game on the market, Duel Monsters. Slade and Jagger would take care of the adults, but according to The Plan, the younger generation was all Chazz's.

It was a simple concept. He'd become the number one duelist in the world. He'd have fans spread across the globe, and they'd be eating out of the palm of his hand, ready to do whatever he said because he was their hero and their guiding light. It didn't matter that he would be taking away their freedom. It didn't matter that it was quite possibly the worst thing the Princeton family could do. It didn't matter that the thought made Chazz completely sick. No, he'd had a part in The Plan, and if he didn't follow through, his brothers would rain hell down on him.

And then, along came Jaden.

After Jaden, everything changed. Everything Chazz had ever known or thought he'd known had been blown to smithereens and their ashes chucked out the nearest window. Jaden made things change. He couldn't walk into a room without the very atmosphere shifting to accommodate him, the aura of fun and easy-goingness that followed after him like a lost puppy. Jaden had been so different from everybody Chazz had ever known that it had thrown him for a complete loop the first time they'd met as opponents.

_The light gave way to a pair of dazzling white wings. The fuzz ball spread them out wide like an angel in front of Jaden, who had a glorious smile on his face that lit the entire arena up like a beacon._

And had continued to amaze him as time went on, even when Chazz himself was so messed up inside.

_" Don't talk about her like you know her so well!" He shook the boy again and Jaden gasped for air. " I've known her a whole __year__ more than you! I've like her a whole year __longer__ than you! I was here first, and then __you__ just come waltzing out of nowhere and get everything I want __like that__?"_

_" Chazz…I can't breathe." Jaden tugged at the hands on his collar, but Chazz didn't remove them._

_" It isn't fair." He snarled. " I had to work long and hard to get to where I am, and you barely have to lift and finger? That's fucked up!"_

_" …Chazz…I seriously…need…air…" Spots began to dance on the edge of Jaden's vision as he fought to stay awake. Chazz took no notice of his captive's problem and continued to rant like he'd apparently been waiting weeks to do._

_" I've spent a year trying to get Alexis to just __look__ at me! And you smile at her one time, and suddenly she's all over you?"_

_" …She's…not…" Jaden gasped._

_" Oh, like you don't notice it!" Chazz tightened his grip. " She always around you these days, talking to you, laughing with you, looking at your decks together! She was holding your hand earlier tonight! And you just sit back and let her fondle you as much as she wants, don't you?"_

_Jaden tried to protest, but there was a blackness that was starting to seep in over his eyes, and he found he was thinking at a pathetically sluggish pace. He tried to raise his hands to tug at the ones that had moved from his collar to gripping his throat, but it took a colossal effort, and he could only manage a weak pull or two before his hands dropped to his sides as the darkness over his eyes got thicker._

_" You make me sick." Chazz's voice had dropped to a whisper, and his hands squeezed just a little tighter._

And then Jaden had reached out to him when no one else would, trying to save him when Chazz himself didn't even know he wanted to be saved.

_" Hey Chazz, how about after this, we have another duel, just for fun?"_

_" What the __Hell __are you going on about, Slacker?"_

_" You know, a duel just for fun."_

_" Why would I want to do that?"_

_Jaden smiled at Chazz._

_" Because that way, the pressure's off, you know? You can duel just for the sake of dueling, without having to worry about anything else."_

_" Oh, I get it." Chazz sneered. " You're so scared that I'll beat you that you're already trying to get a rematch in!"_

_" Well, actually," Jaden rubbed the back of his head, " I'm having so much fun right now that I can't wait to do this again! You're an awesome opponent Chazz!"_

**_OoO_**

_No one had ever acknowledge him during the duel like, either too scared, or too much of a sore loser. Somehow, it seemed like a compliment._

_' __**How sad is it**__,' Chazz thought, ' __**that a Slifer Slacker will acknowledge me, but not my own brothers**__.'_

_Because that was what was at the core of all of it._

_That was what he wanted, needed, and craved more than anything in the world._

**_OoO_**

_" I know what it feels like for people to not be there Chazz!"_

There had been something in his voice that day, something painful and abandoned and cold, and it had made Chazz realize that under all his bright grins and helpful tips and stupid, cheerful personality, Jaden Yuki was just a little bit broken too, and that's when Chazz had finally let Jaden's change in.

Because if Jaden could get up every day, with his pain and sorrow hanging over his head, and grab hold of his own fate and follow his own path, then why couldn't Chazz? Why couldn't Chazz be just as strong and just as in control as Jaden was? Why couldn't Chazz walk his own path, the same way Jaden walked his?

That was why Chazz was who he was. Jaden had hauled him up out of the sinking darkness, and shown him that there were hundreds of paths laid out before him, stretching out to the horizon, with no end in sight. Jaden had given him the chance to grow and flourish away from his brothers' constant abuse and plans, and flourished he had. The Chazz who'd first stood across from Jaden as his opponent during the first promotion duel was little more than a faded memory to the Chazz who'd called out the Dark Scorpions and kept all eyes on him as their group risked everything to bring Syrus back.

So, though he would sooner die than admit it to even himself, Jaden was something of a hero to him.

And watching a hero fall was never easy.

So when he found Jaden on the rockier side of the beach, he couldn't contain himself.

" So you're just gonna sit there feeling sorry for yourself, is that it?" He really didn't mean to be so harsh, but the sight of Jaden sitting on the stone, looking desolately out to the horizon the words got all twisted up inside of him. Jaden should never look so defeated.

" Hey Chazz. What are you doing here?" Jaden said it like an honest question, but Chazz's anger and disappointment at feeling so helpless around the person who'd done so much for him painted them in accusatory words.

" The question is, what are_ you_ doing here?" He snapped. Jaden shrugged his shoulders, turning back to look at the water.

" Beats me. I just...I wanted to chill by myself for a while. Just...try and sort things out, y'know?"

" Really, 'cause to me it looks like you came out here to mope! It looks like you just wanna sit on that stupid rock and feel sorry for yourself!"

" Chazz." Jaden sounded tired, and that only made Chazz angrier. How dare Jaden just sit there and take it? " Dueling...for the longest time, it's been everything to me. It's all that's ever really mattered. I love it. And now..." He looked down helplessly at his cards. " Now, I can't even talk to my cards anymore. I can't see them. They're blank, Chazz. They're all blank."

" So what!" Chazz shouted. A feeling of betrayal rose in his chest as he took in Jaden's sad eyes and a frown that said the boy was giving up. " So what? Just do what you always do, and get up and plow ahead without any plan! Get up and do something stupid, like you always do! You don't sit here and whine about how unfair things are! You _do_ something about it! So quite being such a bitch and _get up_!"

Jaden didn't even look up at his fellow Slifer. He just kept staring out at the water with his shoulders hunched.

" Sorry Chazz, but I don't think running into this head first is gonna help."

And that was when Chazz got angry.

" You _coward_!" The word was ripped from his throat before he could stop it. " You spineless little punk! Is this what we risked our lives for last year? So you could sit around and _bitch_ the first time something doesn't go your way? Is that why we all nearly got expelled? Is that why we fought the Shadow Riders, so you could go cry in a corner the first time you lost? Is that why Syrus was nearly devoured by the Beasts?"

It was unfair. Oh god, was it unfair, but he just couldn't stop once he'd started. The words came spilling out of his mouth, his anger loosening his tongue and his hurt putting phrases that he knew were untrue on it to be screamed at Jaden. It wasn't Jaden's fault he'd lost and it wasn't Jaden's fault he couldn't see his cards, and it certainly wasn't his fault that he felt bad about it. But Jaden was the person who'd saved Chazz when no one else could, and Jaden was the person he'd secretly looked up to, envied, and emulated, and Chazz couldn't watch him fall from grace. If Jaden stepped down from his pedestal, then he became like Chazz, and once he did that, he lost the ability to save the other Slifer. And Chazz fell back into that constricting place he'd been in before Jaden, because Jaden wasn't the saviour Chazz made him out to be. He was a boy, nothing more, and he couldn't even save himself.

" You're nothing but a lying piece of scum! You build this all up, make people believe in you, but when push comes to shove, you can't do shit! You turn tail and run like a fucking coward the second things get hard, and leave the rest of us to clean up after you! You're pathetic, Jaden Yuki! You're a pathetic piece of shit, and if you keep this up, soon everyone will know it! They'll know you can't really do anything, and that you can't help them, and that all you'll ever do it let them down! Because that's what you do Jaden! You build yourself to be this great hero, this person who can do anything and save us from whatever villain is attacking. You make people put their faith in you, I mean really believe that you can do anything, and then the second it gets a little too fucking hot for your liking, you're gone so fucking fast we don't even see it!" Chazz glared viciously at him. " You don't deserve to be here, Yuki. You aren't even worth that red jacket you've got on your back, that's how much of a fucking coward you are."

" Chazz, I..." Jaden whispered, stunned by the outburst. Guilt and fury battled for supremacy, and Chazz just shook his head, turning around to walk back towards the Red Dorm.

" Forget it, coward. Just do everyone a favour and scram for a while, would ya? We've already got enough shit to sort out thanks to you, we don't need you adding to it."

And with that he stormed off, biting the inside of his cheek until it bleed, guilt swirling in his gut.

He locked himself in his room again, turning the music up as loud as it would go, and began shuffling through his cards, staring at each one in turn, memorizing the carefully painted images of the monsters and spells and equipment, until he thought he had every last one of them burned into his mind. And when the Ojama Brothers popped out, squealing and floating around him, trying to get his attention, he let them be, ignoring them as best he could. They eventually quieted down, cuddling with his shoulder and dozing off, as his CD went into its fourth repeat cycle. It wasn't until Syrus started pounding on his door, three hours later and well into sunset, to tell him that Jaden had vanished that the feeling of foreboding he'd been nursing since he started in on Jaden began to make sense.

* * *

Sartorius knew his opponent the second he saw him.

The boy stood out in the seas of blue, yellow, and red the man had been forced to wade through all day. He was wearing a ragged black coat, the ends frayed to little more than threads, and the dark colour not sitting too well with Sartorius. He paused, for a moment, to picture a cleaner, white coat on the boy, and nodded. That would do much better, given that he was about to see the light.

The boy, Chazz Princeton, was wandering aimlessly around, calling for Jaden Yuki. There was a distinct edge of panic in his voice, under which Sartorius could hear a mixture of guilt and anger. The aura coming off the boy was so strong he could nearly reach out and feel it under his hands. It was fluctuating, swinging in between the extremes of anger and sorrow, coloured darkly with Chazz's heavy emotions. Sartorius reached out with his own aura, calm and fluid, and gently prodded at Chazz's.

_The pillar of light in the sea dimming slightly, a broken sword gleaming at its center_

_The marionette, slowly cutting its strings, pulling away to move on its own._

_The lioness with her jaw open in a roar._

_A fiery bird flying high overhead, casting mocking glances to the figures below._

Sartorius let out a breath he'd been holding as the visions slowly ended. From what he could gather, Chazz had let loose a fair bit of unwarranted anger at Jaden Yuki, and the younger boy's status as missing was now wrecking havoc with Chazz's newly formed, and fragile sense of friendship.

Sometimes, they made it just too easy.

Sartorius stayed behind the tree he was leaning against as Chazz rounded the bend in the path, looking around him, and calling out.

" Jaden? Come on Slacker, this isn't funny anymore. The midget is pitching a fit and Lexi is freaking out and even the stupid bitch seems worried. So quit being such a dick and come back already!"

There was silence, and then Chazz's aura went gray with regret.

" Look, I'm sorry, alright? Is that what you wanna hear? I'm sorry I said those things to you. I didn't mean any of it. I'm just not used to seeing you like this. I...I guess it pissed me off, because you're always the one to make us feel better when we get like that. I just wasn't used to it, and I didn't know how to react. I'm sorry."

Sartorius pushed off the tree, ready to walk out and see exactly how good of a duelist Chazz Princeton really was, when a squeaky, giggly voice sounded from where Chazz was standing.

" Aw, Boss, that was so sweet!"

Two others, one low and another somewhat nasal, joined it.

" Yeah Boss," said the nasally voice, " it's so nice of you to apologize for hurting his feelings!"

" He must mean a lot to you!"

" Ugh, would you losers scram already!"

Sartorius peaked out from behind the tree, and took in the scene before him.

Floating around Chazz's head were three monster spirits. One was yellow, the other green, and the third black. Each sported red speedos polka-dotted with white, and were about two hands tall. The yellow one had two long antennae coming off the top of its head, on which its eyes rested. The green one had only one eye and a long, pointed tongue that stuck out of its mouth. The black one had a large nose and very tiny eyes, and seemed to be the most overweight, while the yellow one was scrawny and the green one was out of shape.

' _The Ojama Brothers_.' Sartorius indentified the monsters. ' _How interesting._'

" It's alright, Boss, we get it." Ojama Green reassured.

" Yeah, you really look up to Jaden." Ojama Yellow agreed. " So it's only natural you got a little upset."

" You're only human." The third Ojama brother piped in.

Chazz didn't take their comforting too well.

"Shut up! I don't look up to that Slacker! I just lost my temper and I feel bad about it, so lay off!"

" You know, monster spirits don't usually communicate with humans. The person they talk to must have a certain gift." Sartorius walked out from behind the tree. " And the spirits have to like that person very much. They usually become so attached that they will do just about anything to protect that person." He gave a mirthless little chuckle. " So don't be too hard on them."

" Who the hell are you?" Chazz certainly didn't waste words.

" My name is Sartorius." He made a mocking bow. " I've traveled a very long way to meet you, Mr. Princeton."

" You know, you were only being a bit of a creeper right up until that last sentence. Now, you're batting fucking weird."

" You're wondering how I know your name I take it?"

" No, I'm wondering how you got past security."

" You can do a lot of things when you manage as many pro-duelists as I do."

That shut the boy up pretty fast. Sartorius grinned as his aura tingled with curiosity.

" Tell me, do you know Aster Phoenix?"

" That punk? Sure I-" Chazz froze. " Don't tell me..."

" One of my best finds."

" You're seriously managing a jerk like that?"

" I'm currently taking new clients. How about you show me what you can do?"

He expected Chazz to jump at the chance to prove himself, but the boy stepped back, distrust clear on his face.

" What's the catch?"

" No catch." Sartorius lied easily. " It's just that someone who can talk to monster spirits is always a good find, given how rare they are."

" Yeah?" Chazz asked, his guard dropping just a little. All around him, his aura flared, darting between distrust and delight. Sartorius pressed against it, and was rewarded with a very clear, straightforward image of Chazz smirking at Jaden from up on a medal podium. Jaden's face was mostly shadowed, but if Sartorius peered in more closely, he could just make out a slight, proud smile on Jaden's face.

Too easy.

He summoned the mist before Chazz had even loaded hi duel disk, and the Ojama Brothers took their leave, quivering with the frightening sensation Sartorius liked to create. Before he vanished, though, Ojama Yellow gave one last, dirty glare at the man, his beady eyes narrowed in hate and his aura very black.

_If you hurt Chazz..._ the message was clear. Sartorius brushed it off easily.

Everything about Chazz Princeton, from his dark hair to his black coat to his disturbingly heavy aura, screamed to be saved from the darkness the whole world seemed to be sinking in. The inky colours that danced around him betrayed his confusion, guilt, and fear, even his calm voice and confident moves did not. Chazz Princeton needed to see the light, possibly more than anyone. Only then would he be able to achieve his dream of being happy with who he was, and let go of the bitter confusion that raged within him. He was a good kid, Sartorius had decided, just a little mixed up and lost. But the man was more than willing to help Chazz find his way, even if it meant a little manipulation on his part. After all, some of the things Chazz was repressed needed to be admitted to, and there was no way the Chazz before him was going to come out and say that he wanted to beat Jaden Yuki to prove to the younger boy that the black Slifer had changed. He was never going to admit to the fact that he wanted to impress Jaden, and make the other boy proud of him. Sartorius would have to do some tweaking, and if the goal got shifted just a bit, if Chazz wanted to beat Jaden for the sake of beating Jaden, then that was a sacrifice the boy was going to have to make.

The duel was amusing. Watching Chazz trying to deny that his every action had already been predicted and countered brought a smile to Sartorius' face, but it was the way the boy denied wanting to duel Jaden, denied that his fellow Slifer was so much stronger than him, all while his aura showed his panic at the truth being uncovered and his eyes betrayed him to his opponent, that really made Sartorius smile.

" I can help you." He promised, pushing the card forward. Chazz, surrounded by his monster's gleaming arms, stared at it with something akin to horror. " I can make you strong enough to beat Jaden. To show him just what he's done for you."

Chazz had started to tremble, his fingers reaching forward and then stopping short, the internal debate clear on his face. Sartorius leaned forward, the light pulsing just under the surface of his skin, his eyes glowing in the night air. Around Chazz, a soft barrier formed, and the Ojama Brothers that had been racing forward to dissuade their master were thrown back violently, vanishing in a shower of little lights.

" I can help you show him how you've change." Chazz's aura was pulsating too, glowing with the Light one moment and then slipping back into the darkness of confusion and fear again. Sartorius knew he was close. He could almost feel Chazz's will beginning to crumble.

" Think of what you could do. You could show him, show them all, just how much you've changed. You could make them all look at you and smile."

Chazz was shaking now, his fingers just barely brushing the white cloth of the table.

" You could have," Sartorius whispered, " everything you ever wanted."

Chazz's fingers inched forward, even as his eyes said no.

" You could make them so proud of you."

His fingers touched the card.

And as Sartorius pushed the Light deep into Chazz's chest, he was assaulted by a hundred flashes of the students of Duel Academy, and Chazz's friends looking up at him with glow admiration. The blonde girl had hearts in her eyes, and the brown haired boy beside her was giving him a thumbs up, and even the blue-haired kid was smiling brightly at him.

And in the background, a little bit off from the crowd, Jaden Yuki was giving him his signature two-fingered salute, a proud grin stretching across his face.

* * *

Chazz gave one last scream of pain as the Light burned its way into his soul, blanking out all the other desires and dreams it encountered there, and as he fell unconscious, he cursed the fact that Jaden was not there to save him.

* * *

Hellow everyone!

So, how do you all like the kick-off of the Society? I promised something a little creepier, didn't I? And trust me, before the end of this, Chazz will creep you the fuck out. A loud-mouth jerk? Oh no, when MY Chazz Princetome gets brainwashed, he does it with _style_.

And his motivation! I love the fact that Chazz's whole reason for wanting to beat Jaden is to make Jaden proud of him. He'll never admit it outloud, but Chazz admires and emulates Jaden. He wants to be like him, in some small way. He wants to be able to like himself as much as Jaden likes him. He wants to be strong, and have respect, but more than that, he wants to have friends, and be able to protect them. He wants to be able to inspire people and show them their own self worth. Chazz, more than anything, wants to come out of him hole and be a part of the group, to walk the path Jaden showed him. That's why Jaden's misery hit Chazz the worst. Alexis knows Jaden is human, and Syrus found the strength last year to stand without someone supporting him, Jaden or not, but Chazz still, deep in his most secret of secret hearts, sees Jaden as a hero. Watching your hero fall from grace is incredibly painful. In some ways, both Chazz and Lia look to Jaden for inspiration and guidance. It's just one more thing that they have in common.

Anywho, that's all for this week. I'll see you next Friday for the introduction of teh Society of Light Chazz, who is actually pretty scary, if I do say so myself.

See ya!

MoS


	12. Frightening Revelation

Warnings: And here he is, ladies and gentlemen. Society of Light Chazz.

...

Enjoy that.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_.

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

" Something's wrong with Chazz."

That was the general consensus of everybody currently bunking at the Red Dorm. (A fact which had several teachers in an uproar, especially the Vice-Principle. Apparently, the very sight of several boys in Ra Yellow uniforms meandering around the Slifer Dorm was enough to cause a conniption fit, while the rumour that Alexis was shacking up there had sent quite a few into Miss Fontaine with heart attacks. The head of the Ra Dorm, Professor Sartyr, had even gone so far as to try and 'lure' his students back with the temptation of food. The resulting duel had been rather amusing, made even more amusing when Lia had come wandering up, book in hand, and asked what their dorm head was doing, fighting Hassleberry. Apparently, she was the only one capable of recognizing him, and that was only because of his telltale accent. It had made Bastian, who was also a second year Ra, feel a little ashamed. It hadn't really bothered Hassleberry or Syrus, given that they spent at most a grand total of three days in Ra, put together. And neither had been too keen on up and leaving, because if they did, Bonaparte would tear the dorm down, and Jaden wouldn't have anything to come home to. Lia suspected that, if nothing else, was gave Hassleberry the strength to win. So, in the end, they'd all gotten curry, even Lia, who'd already eaten lunch – it was a Saturday, and she wasn't ready to admit that she had, in fact, just rolled out of bed an hour earlier, and had her usual breakfast at about noon -, and Professor Sartyr went back to his dorm somewhat mollified.)

But the fact remained that there was definitely something very wrong with Chazz. It wasn't the usual macho blustering, or the chest puffing, or his attempts to make everyone around him believe that he thought he was better than them and deserved to be back in the Blue Dorm. In fact, for all his renovations and luxury living, Lia had noticed during the tour that the Blue jacket he'd always kept pressed in plastic and in mint condition was no longer hanging on his wall. It had given her the same uncomfortable feeling she got as she reached the end of a very good book. It felt like a chapter was being closed forever, and no amount of tugging or screaming was going to get the book to open back to that point in the story ever again.

That was why she'd snuck the picture of it. There was just something about it, about the lack of Blue memorabilia in the room that just made her want to document it. It was symbolic, she supposed, of Chazz's change, and while she would never be his biggest fan or closest friend, she wanted a picture of the transformation he never let show on his face.

And that was why she noticed something was terribly wrong before everyone else.

They were all too preoccupied with Jaden. Granted, Lia was worried sick too, but she had homework to distract her and books to read and pictures of the beautiful, tropical island around her to take. She'd thrown herself into her studies after his disappearance with almost the same fervour she'd used to distract herself when Syrus had been taken. But time and age had brought a little bit of reasoning to her, so the initial burst slowed down to a reasonable pace after the first, panic-filled day.

But still, the sight of Chazz in white (total white. Blinding and blazing white so bright it made her eyes water.) made her stop dead in her tracks when she'd visited the morning after Jaden had vanished. In his new uniform, he'd looked somewhat dashing, his dark hair in stark contrast to the 'new fallen snow' colour of his jacket, shirt, and pants. And Lia had balked, trying to come up with some comment as the others looked at him with varying degrees of disbelief and annoyance. But nothing had come to her. No witty jibe, no sarcastic barb, not even a plain observation. All there had been was her opening and closing her mouth, trying and failing to make sense out of the sight before her.

Because it was wrong, and the wrongness of it made her skin crawl.

Chazz did not wear white. Chazz did not rave about things that did directly relate back to himself. Chazz did not talk about things like they were his God, because Lia for a fact that Chazz didn't believe in a God. Most of all, Chazz did not smile like that, a sick, glazed look that reminded her a little too much of the way he'd looked that night in the Abandoned Dorm, his fingers around Jaden's throat, a desperate fear in his eyes.

There was something very, very wrong going on, and it made Lia feel just a little bit sick. (If asked, she would blame the events of the previous year. As far as she was concerned, there were certain things that a person couldn't get through without coming out changed, and facing down three beasts of legend was one of them.)

Alexis looked up as Lia made her declaration. Normally, it would've been said in that dull monotone Lia usually used when talking about Chazz. She honestly couldn't help that her voice dropped and that bored, irritated tone overtook her voice. Chazz had always annoyed her to that point, so perhaps it was the fact that she wasn't talking like that that made Alexis look up from where Syrus and Hassleberry were getting ready to duel.

Lia's voice was scared, and she knew it. It was just a little higher than it should be, and she was shaking a bit, like she'd worn a t-shirt on day that was just the slightest bit too cold for it. But it was her eyes, she guessed, too wide and too disturbed and too uncertain, that made Alexis rush over to her, an arm around the younger girl before either really knew what was happening.

" Lia? What's wrong honey?"

Lia almost jumped at that. Despite her ever-growing range of nicknames (something she blamed Jaden and Atticus completely for), no one had seemed brave enough to make the jump from a cutesy nickname to a full-blown endearment. Lia flushed slightly, but reasoned that since it was Alexis, it was okay. If Atticus or Jaden or even Bastian had attempted it (not that she thought the British boy would; that dream was almost dead), she would've nailed them in the gut with her elbow, trounced on their foot with the heel of her sneaker, and maybe, if it had been Atticus, kicked them in the balls just for good measure.

As it was, she just leaned in closer to Alexis, trying to gather the jumbled thoughts whizzing around in her head.

" What d'ya mean, Kitten?"

Atticus had seen fit to join them, walking over with the white flag he'd been using still clutched in his hand. Behind him, both Syrus and Hassleberry had paused mid move, looking over to the Academic with mixed looks of concern and annoyance.

" What's wrong?" Syrus yelled over. " It can't be that bad. Let's keep going, okay?"

Hassleberry gave him a look.

" Don't you know anythin'? When a lady's upset, you're supposed ta fahnd out whah. It's the gentleman thing ta do."

Atticus jumped up, forgetting about Lia for a second.

" That's absolutely right! Three stars for proving that chivalry isn't dead!"

A book slammed into the back of his head.

" Cram it, you walking bundle of annoying." Lia growled, still mad at the fact that he'd nearly taken her head off when he'd come swinging down from the rafters in the Red Dorm.

" Shot lahke that aughta be worth fifty points, easy." Hassleberry muttered, wincing.

Atticus sat up, rubbing the back of his head furiously.

" Where do you keep getting those books?" He demanded, picking up the projectile. His eyes widened at the title. " _A Summary of the Universe_?" He looked a little lower, his eyes bugging out. " _**Volume 34**_?"

He looked over to where Lia had stepped out of Alexis' protective embrace, and was giving him a look that clearly dared him to make a comment about her reading material.

" How many volumes are there?" Alexis asked. Lia threw her a sideways glance.

" 483." She said, completely straight-faced. Atticus, who'd never done some much reading in his life, went white.

" You own _483_ of these things?" He waved the thick, leather-bound book in the air. Lia snorted.

" No, _my mother_ owns about 73 or so, mostly about the ancient civilizations and the brutal wars that took place. It's for her research. I just brought that one because it's about Ancient Egypt, and I wanted to see if there was any mention of," she gestured to the duel before her, " these card games. Everyone keeps telling me that where they originated, so..."

" Was there any mention?" Bastian seemed intrigued. Lia blushed when those dark eyes focused in on her, but ploughed ahead.

" Dunno. I haven't exactly had a lot of reading time."

" Why does your mom need them for research?" Alexis asked.

" I expect they come in handy when she's digging through tombs or mass graves." Bastian answered before Lia could. Both of the Rhodes siblings paled.

" What's your mom doing looking for mass graves?" Alexis gave a little shudder. " They're so creepy."

Lia heaved a sigh.

" My mother is Beline Duressuscité." She made it sound like an omission. When no one batted an eye, she continued on, frustrated. " The anthropologist? Wrote three books? Has had hundreds of articles published in dozens of anthropological journals?" No one blinked. Lia ground her teeth. " Balourds incultes."

" J'y prends l'offense." Atticus responded. " Je suis assez cultivé et je suis bien sûr pas un balourd."

Lia just stared at him.

" Tu parles français?" She sounded like she couldn't believe it.

Atticus smile was as smug as it was charming.

" Absolument."

Lia twitched. And looked at Alexis. The blonde shrugged.

" Why do you think I'm so desperate to learn?" She glared at her brother. " I want him to stop lording it over me!"

" Hey! If I'm gonna be a celebrity, I gotta know how to speak a multitude of languages. I was just always attracted to French the most. It _is_ the language of love, after all." He shot Lia a suggestive look.

" Je te battrai." She said simply, crossing her arms.

" That's great and all," Syrus cut in, " but what does it have to do with Lia's mom?"

" Lia's mother is the world's foremost expert on genocide and ethnic cleansing. She's employed at the Paris Descartes University. She's recently started work on a book about the genocides in the distant past, correct?" Bastian explained.

" Don't remind me." Lia groaned. " We spent all summer in South America, and if I have to hear about Aztec rituals one more time, I'm gonna lose it." The she paused looking around, her face expectant.

" What are you doing?" Alexis asked finally, as the silence began to get awkward.

" Haven't you guys noticed that Chazz had left me alone these past few days?" She asked. " No taunts, no insults, nothing. He hasn't picked a fight with me in _days_! It's unnerving!"

" Whah?" As the newcomer, Hassleberry was still a little shaky on the group dynamics.

" Because he never leaves me alone!" Lia shouted. " He always picks a fight with me, no matter what!"

" Aren't you exaggerating a little?" Atticus put in, but cowered under the glare Lia pinned him with.

" Name one time he hasn't purposefully gone out of his way to start something."

The older boy opened his mouth, but then shut it, looking pensive. He tried again, but the same thing happened.

" He's never this nice to me." Lia said. " No to mention..."

" What?" Now, even Hassleberry and Syrus had suspended their duel, and were walking over. Lia bit her lower lip in worry.

" Chazz, he...he..._hugged_ me."

_She had one goal in mind, and nothing short of the volcano erupting or the Sacred Beasts being set lose was going to stop her from achieving it. The eerie calm with which Chazz was doing everything had started to get on her nerves. It was too gentle, too courteous, too...unbearably wrong for it not to make her grind her teeth._

_And after three days, she'd hit the breaking point._

_So that was what had led her here, standing the living room of Chazz's addition to the Red Dorm, glaring the boy in question down. He was still smiling pleasantly, polite interest in his eyes when they should have been narrowed and furious._

" _And what can I help you with?" His tone was light, and it only served to make Lia angrier._

" _What's with you, Princeton?" She growled. " You're acting weird."_

" _I've just been through a revelation." He smiled at her. Lia twitched._

" _What?" And here, her voice turned mocking. " Did you finally figure out what a jackass you are?"_

_He laughed, and it was light and musical and sent a swoop of nausea through her. Because Chazz didn't laugh like that. Chazz's laugh was hard, and bitter, and spoke of a world that was as rough and torn as the tattered ends of his jacket. But, sometimes, when Chazz smirked in that way that said he'd had to work hard for his victory, or when his eyes lingered overlong on Syrus, as if trying to convince himself the younger boy was really there and not just an illusion, or when, in the middle of duels, his eyes drifted to the part in the stands where the group always sat, his eyes begging for the encouragement his mouth would never ask for, Lia thought that maybe it was the only world worth living in._

_So Chazz laughing softly, and smiling brightly, and not calling her a bunch of horrible names was enough to make her feel ill, because somehow, it cheapened everything that had happened up until that point. It took all the things they'd achieved, all the heartache and the pain and the hard-won ties of friendship, and turned them into little more than party favours at someone's tenth birthday._

_It was wrong, and Lia was willing to go pretty far to fix it._

" _What's so funny?" She ground her teeth. Chazz just shook his head._

" _Nothing. Just...It's cute."_

" _What is?" A terrible sense of foreboding made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end._

" _The way you act." He shook his head again, like she was a toddler throwing a tantrum._

" _Um, Chazz, I don't know how to tell you this, but I'm __**insulting**__ you. God, did all that hair gel finally go to your head, or something?"_

_Now he was going to attack, she was sure of it. Her tone was the exact shade of condensation that always got his goat. She had crossed her arms, and there was a superior, teeth-grindingly arrogant smirk on her face. Everything about her was set to wear on his very last nerves, because there was no way he had any left after three days of acting like a tool._

" _You know perfectly well that I don't use gel."_

_But his voice wasn't irritated in the least. It was slow and purposeful, and so completely mellow that it made __**Lia**__ irritated. Where was the normal Chazz? The one who would've jumped up and bitten her head off already? The one who never passed up the chance to point out all of her flaws? The one who loved harking about how homely she was, and how she was never going to get a man interested in her? Where was the Chazz who called her ugly names, and got into fights with her over absolutely nothing? Where was that Chazz?_

_Where was her Chazz?_

" _That's not the point here." She was getting exasperated. " The point is, you're...you're..."_

" _I'm what?" He was being patient. Chazz was never patient. He wasn't even patient when waiting for something to warm up in the microwave. _

_That was probably what finally made her snap._

" _What is __**wrong**__ with you?" She shouted. " You're being __**weird**__. Weirder than usual! You're too nice and too polite and it's __**freaking me out**__!"_

" _It's freaking you out that I'm being polite?" Chazz sounded amused._

" _You're not this polite! You're __**never**__ this polite! Hell!" She threw her hands up. " You're never polite, period!"_

" _I've just turned over a new leaf, is all." Chazz shrugged. " I finally figured out what I was doing wrong, why nothing was working for me. I found my epiphany, and it's helped me see things clearly." He gave her a small smile. " I know this is hard for you to accept, but everything will be fine soon, Kitten, I promise."_

_The nickname was got her. Whatever endearment the others used, Chazz never let a single one of them cross his lips. He barely even used Lia's name at all, and when he did, it was her last name, and even then, he made it sound like an insult. He would sooner die than call her 'Kitten' like Jaden or Atticus, or even Alexis on occasion. The sense of wrongness that had been ringing in the back of her head now flared to life like a firecracker igniting or a fire alarm going off._

" _What the fuck did you just call me?" Her voice cracked over the last word, and she cursed herself. It was all so wrong, so backwards that she could barely stand it. Jaden had been beaten, Zane was no longer around for her to hate, and Chazz was using her nickname. " Just what the fuck did you call me?"_

" _Easy, Kitten, sheath those claws." No, that was Atticus' joke. Chazz had no right using it, and it had no right to be coming from Chazz. " I just want you to understand."_

" _I don't want to understand!" And she meant it, she really did. " I want you to go back to the way you were! Change back, right now!"_

_Chazz was looking at her oddly, a mixture of pity and concern. Lia didn't like it._

" _I can't go back, Lia, not ever. Not after what's happened." His face suddenly became rapturous. " Not after I've seen the Light."_

" _Bullshit! That's total crap and you know it! This...this person...it isn't you. It isn't Chazz Princeton, and I think...no, I __**know**__ you know that. You're not this nice, and you're not this polite, and you never, ever take this kinda crap from anyone, especially not me!" She fixed him with a fierce glare. " So come on Chazz, take your best shot! Call me a bitch, call me a slut, tell me how ugly I am, tell me how no one will ever want to sleep with me! Go on, do it! Say it you stupid bastard! Come on, insult me already!"_

_She was goading him, and she knew it. She was pushing every button she could, trying to remember all the little things that would've set him off not a week before. She was trying to make him snap, trying to make him twitch, trying to make him do something, anything, to let her see that the real Chazz was still in there. Darkening eyes, a slight scowl, anything but that painfully polite smile he'd been wearing almost non-stop since Jaden had vanished. She wanted him to yell, and curse. She wanted to be called all those awful things Chazz would have usually screamed at her by now. She wanted the grumpy, ill-mannered, snarky Chazz back, because this new one gave her the creeps._

" _You're such a coward!" She tried a new approach. " What was all that you were saying about Jaden not running away? Isn't that what you're doing right now? Avoiding the issue? You're too much of a loser to admit that you miss Jaden! You've got your pride and your money and you think that's enough, do ya? You're such an embarrassment! I can see right through you!"_

_She knew she was being cruel. The last line was something she hadn't uttered to him since that long ago day on the rooftop, before Jaden and Syrus' tag duel. The memory of his face, flushed with anger, and his eyes, crazed with fury, made her almost hesitant to drag the phrase up again, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and Lia shoved down whatever guilt she felt when the reminder of such an ugly time came spilling out of her lips._

_Chazz gave her one look, one very long, searching look, like he could see right inside of her, and, in a sudden reversal of what she'd just said, Lia had the distinct, terrible feeling that __**he**__ was the one who could see right through __**her.**_

_There was a split second where she was sure he was going to sneer at her, and then, quicker than she could follow, he closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms tightly around her._

" _You're scared, I can tell." He whispered in her ear, and Lia, paralyzed with shock, could do nothing but struggle to breathe. " You're so lost, and you can't find your way at all. You keep reaching out, trying to find something that will tell you the right direction to go. You and rest of the world are lost in the dark, isn't that it?"_

_Lia couldn't move. Her whole body was as still as a statue; there was no way she was going to provoke the psycho holding her, because one things had become very clear._

_It wasn't Chazz._

_The person had Chazz's clothes and was wearing Chazz's skin and could mimic Chazz's voice, but he didn't have Chazz's mannerisms down at all, because so long as either of them lived, Chazz was never going to hug her. He'd mutter stiff congratulations on her graduation day, and he'd make some snide little comment on her wedding day (because she was going to have one, if only to prove him wrong), and he'd pat her shoulder awkwardly at some funeral in the far distant future, but he'd never hug her._

_Contrary to what everyone believed, Chazz and Lia understood that what they had would not normally be considered a friendship. They taunted each other and yelled at each other, and more often than not, were at each other's throats, trying to come up with the best insult to shut the other up with. They goaded and shouted and put the other down at every given opportunity. They couldn't be in the same room without fighting. It wasn't so much a friendship as it was a contest, to see who would come out the ultimate victory by the time Chazz graduated._

_But the truth was that it __**was**__ a friendship, albeit a strange one. They had an understanding, Chazz and Lia, and that understanding was that they could lay into each other as much as they wanted, but the second a third party tried to attack one of them, the other would jump to their defence. Only Lia was allowed to mock Chazz about being a jerk. Only Chazz could get away with calling Lia ugly. It was an antagonistic, almost sibling-esque deal between the two of them._

_But it was more than that, and Lia knew it. _

_With every insult, Chazz was making her stronger. Every time he called her ugly, called her chestless, called her unattractive, he was making her face the inadequacies she refused to admit to most of the time. She was forced to fight back and prove to not only him, but herself as well, that she would do just fine without being the prettiest girl in the world. Chazz had once said that she would be hearing it for the rest of her life. Maybe he was right. Maybe people were going to judge her on her looks as long as she lived. But Chazz had given her the guns and the bullets to combat that. He forced her out of the comfort zone and made her look way deep down inside of herself to find something to prove him wrong with._

_He was doing what Zane had been trying to do with Syrus, the results were blaringly different, mainly because Chazz wasn't her brother, and Lia didn't take crap. From anybody. Still, it was interesting to see that the more she and Syrus changed, the more like the other they became. As Syrus slowly gained a backbone, he seemed to inherit Lia's quick tongue and taste for clever insults. Lia, as she slowly let people into her world, seemed to acquire his softness. They were two sides of the same coin, and it surprised Lia to think that a year ago, that had scared her._

" _Don't worry, Lia." Chazz continued talking, completely unaware of her inner turmoil. " Soon, the world will be flooded with light, and you'll be able to see your path. It's at your feet, waiting for you to find it, but you need the Light to guide you." He gave her one last squeeze, and then let go. Lia stumbled back, face white._

_Chazz smiled at her._

" _You'll see. Soon, the long night that's covering the world will be over, and the dawn will come, and we'll all be able to see again."_

_And against her chest, the stone Yasmin had given her __**burned**__._

* * *

So...

Scared yet? I think the thing that freaked me out the most when I wrote this up was the fact that I had Chazz call Lia 'Kitten'. That is the real warning that things are not as they should be. Every other warning was nothign compare to that. Chazz, in his right mind, would never, ever, _ever_ call Lia 'Kitten'. He'd sooner drink sulfuric acid. He'd sooner cut his own tongue out. Still, all in all, I really like the way this came out. I think Chazz is a good blend of a polite gentleman, and a raving lunatic. Most pyschopaths are actually very charming and compelling people. That's what makes them so dangerous. And trust me, right now, Chazz is _very _dangerous.

Also, does the hug give anyone else a serious sense of something being very, very wrong in the world?

On the plus side, Alexis calling Lia 'honey' is just adorable. I love writing those two together. They have such a fun, friendly dynamic. Lia's dynamic with Atticus is more explosive. Oh, by the way, my friend Agent Malkere is reponsible for 'A Summary of the Universe' series. It was either that or 'A Brief Overlook of the World.' Speaking of Atticus:

" Balourds incultes." - Uncultured simpletons

" J'y prends l' suis assez cultivé et je suis bien sûr pas un balourd."- I take offense to that. I am too cultured, and I am certainly not a simpleton.

" Tu parles français?" - You speak French? (Note the use of the 'tu' form)

" Absolument."- Absolutely.

Je te battrai - I will hit you.

And Lia's mom, revealed at last! Really, is it any wonder Lia didn't develope normally?

Well, this is where I leave you. See you all next week!

MoS


	13. Lingering Promise

Warning: Jaden is gonna have a stupid moment in this. He's in shock, give him a minute.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_.

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

They just stared

Lia might've felt uncomfortable with the looks if she wasn't so busy fiddling with the chain around her neck. Abruptly, for no reason, she hauled it up from under her shirt. Her room key gleamed in the sunlight overhead, but what drew most of the attention was the stone. It was small, only about two thirds of her pinky, smoothed ad rounded at one end while the other tampered down to a wicked looking point. Three strange markings were all that marred the otherwise perfect white surface. The first was right by the rounded top. It was a wheel, a ring of cut away stone etched into the stone. The second was by the bottom, still far enough away from the point to be large enough to see. It was a circle the same colour as the ring at the top. The third was a straight line that stopped just short of either marking, almost like it was trying to connect them. Between the ring and the top of the stone, Lia had tied a thin bit of string to the stone, and attached it to her chain.

Lia turned it around in her fingers, not caring that the chain was getting tangled and digging into the back of her neck. The stone had cooled since she'd gotten away from Chazz, but there were traces of residual heat on it, biting at her fingers until she wondered if she should pull them away.

But she couldn't.

The stone hung heavy and real in her hand, a touchable reminder of what they had accomplished the year before. Through fire and brimstone, through shadow and doubt, through monsters and beasts, they'd come out alive. More than alive, alive and victorious. Against every odd, against every obstacle set up to block their path and tear them down, they'd won.

They pulled Syrus back from the abyss with little more than a trick and their own courage. They'd stared down three monsters of legend that threatened to rip their souls from their bodies. They'd held fast as the world had tilted on its edge (more than once).

The stone in her hand, warmed now from the heat of her body, was a testament to that. Yasmin had pressed it into her palm, whispering lines that sounded like they came from the script of a fantasy movie that was bound to be a trilogy, cryptic warnings and strange encouragements and all.

It was Lia's talisman, her keepsake, to remind her that things that seemed impossible often weren't, and there was no use in just lying down and giving up, because then were would any of them be? Syrus, for one, would still be trapped in the darkness, and Lia herself would still be a social outcast.

" Lia?" Alexis said softly, and started the girl out of her musings. She looked up into a pair of gentle brown eyes and wondered, not for the first, what appeal she had seen in being alone.

" You okay?" It was Syrus talking now; Syrus, whose duel she'd interrupted. Suddenly, Lia felt very foolish.

" I'm good!" She attempted to wave her feelings of foreboding off. " Really, it was just a shock. We can talk about it after you duel." She blinked, very lost. " Why are you two dueling?"

At her question, both Syrus and Hassleberry seemed to remember their mutual hatred, and settled right back into shouting about who was Jaden's true best friend. In fact, that appeared to be the reason behind the duel in the first place, and Lia looked on, just as lost as ever, as Hassleberry did something to the large blue bird on his side, and summoned a large, dark brown T-Rex.

" Did I miss something?" She asked as Hassleberry went on about dedicating the duel to Jaden, before sending his monster rampaging at Syrus. " When did those two start hating each other bad enough to duel?"

" Eh, it's been building for a while." Alexis explained as Atticus awarded more points to Hassleberry for 'showing his tender side'.

" You know, where I'm from, if you don't like somebody, you just hit them in the face. None of this dueling business."

" Yeah, sometimes I miss that too. Then I remember that once you get into a fight, you tend to get bruised right back."

" You been in a fight, Lex?"

" One or two. Actually, I got into a fight in my first year, before any of you came."

" Really?"

" Yeah, some dick was talking shit about Atticus. So I punched his lights out."

" Bet that went over well."

" Oh trust me, it was hard to get a word in edgewise."

" They really came down hard on you, huh?"

" What? Oh no, I meant that I was so busying ranting that none of the teachers could get a word in. In the end, they were so stunned that I just walked out of the office in a huff, and never got punished."

" Well, that might have something to do with the colour of your uniform. No offense."

" None taken."

" Speaking of uniforms, when did you start wearing jeans?"

" I'm protesting the skirts we're forced to wear as part of the girls' uniform."

" The dress Crowler and Atticus tried to get you into freaked out this much?"

" Did you see that thing? Did you? It was hideous!"

" And pink doesn't look too hot on you."

" Thank you. That's what I keep telling Atticus, but no it's neon colours or bust with him. He's got a plum coloured suit, did I tell you that?"

" He's got what?"

" A purple suit. It's plum. And he wears it at every family reunion. I'm embarrassed just to have to share a last name with him!"

" Plum?"

" Plum."

" I thought gay guys were supposed to be fashionable."

" Well, he's bisexual. Maybe the straight part of his mind cancels out any fashion-savvy part of him."

" Yeah, I can see that happening."

" Point is, he has this need to wear bright colours."

" Probably to get attention."

" Yeah, that's what I think. He's such a drama queen, sometimes I can't stand it. He always has to be the center of attention."

" Oh fun. How do you live with him?"

" I've found that there is one very useful solution: I bought a lock for my door and installed it myself."

" Smart."

" Yup."

" You both realize I can hear you, right?" Atticus cut in, his white flag dropping and a pout on his handsome face.

Lia grinned at him.

" Oh, we know you can hear just don't care."

" Cruel." Atticus muttered, and turned back to the duel. Bastian gave them an amused grin over the older boy's shoulder. On the field, Hassleberry had summoned another monster, this one dusty red with fern green strips on its tail, and an arched ridge on its back. He was currently pointing the T-Rex at Syrus, ordering an attack.

" Sorry, Trusedale, but anyone who stands between me an' Jaden gets squashed lahke a skunk on a freeway!"

" Oh, great word choice there, Hassleberry." Lia looked a little green around the gills. " Just the image I needed in my head before lunch."

" Great word choice there, Hassleberry!" Atticus applauded. " Five stars, and a spot in the semi-finals! You might not have grace, but you've got the grittiness we've come to know and love!"

" Semi...finals?" Lia looked to Alexis, who was clearly trying very hard to pretend that she didn't know Atticus.

" His dream job – besides pop idol – is hosting a talent search reality show." Alexis explained, rubbing her temples.

" Are you sure he's not adopted?"

" No, no I am not."

" 'Cause it would explain an awful lot."

" Yes, it would."

" ...Wanna look into it after this duel gets done?"

" Might be worth a laugh."

" I can still hear you two!"

" We know!"

" And we don't care!"

" Also, if anyone asks, we are not related. And I don't care if I have to forge documents to prove it."

On the field, Lia watched as a drill-esque creature appeared by Syrus, and the strange, laser beam thing at his side struck Hassleberry, the counter on the disk indicating that his lifepoints had dropped from 3200 to 2900.

" Big deal!" The army brat shouted as the surge from the blast ended. " Three hundred points is nuthin'! And now, Black Tahranno, destroy his Drilloid!"

Lia blinked.

" For real? Those are their names. For real?"

Bastian patted her on the shoulder.

" Let it go, my dear."

She responded without facing him, her cheeks hot.

" But they're-"

The blast of a monster being destroyed, and Syrus' points dropped down to 400. Despite Lia really not being interested in the goings-on, felt a hot lump of anger form in her stomach as the general's son started mocking Syrus. Whatever the situation, it was never a good idea to mock Syrus in front of Lia. She'd developed an odd feeling of protectiveness for the smaller boy early on in their first year, and while Lia may have been an Academic and had no idea how to duel, she wasn't easily intimidated, and she stuck by her friends (she'd slapped Zane Trusedale across the face after Syrus had been taken and she backhanded Aster Phoenix for making fun of a beaten Jaden. Put her in a ring with the best Duelists in the school, and she'd come out the victor, because one word against her friends had her forgetting about pulling her punches).

" Shut up, 'assleberry." She said coldly after a particularly bruising taunt. The dark-skinned boy turned to her, and jumped back at bit at the dark look in her eyes. " You can do a lot of t'ings, but nevir call Sirus a coward."

Her accent had thickened, but that only made her sound all the more dangerous. From his side of the field, Syrus shot her a grateful look.

" Hey, Sarge!" he shouted, breaking Lia's gaze. " As worried as you should be about Lia being mad at you, you should be more worried about me!"

" And whah's that?"

Syrus smirked, and for a second, he looked almost like Zane, because, just as their confused faces were the same, the lines of the smirk fell in the same places and the same, wicked delight light gleamed in their eyes.

" Because I activate Polymerization, which will fuse my Ambulanceroid and my Rescueroid together to make Ambulance Rescueroid!"

Lia twitched.

She reached for her stone again, fiddling around with it as lights and explosions went off in the area in front of her. There was a few more monsters on Syrus' side now, and Hassleberry was starting to look a little nervous. Lia drifted back out as he reached for a card, and the stone twirling around in her fingers as she felt along the edges.

She pulled back quickly as a sharp bursts of pain went through her. Looking down, she saw that the tip had pricked her right ring finger, and a little red bubble was blossoming up. Sighing in frustration, she put the finger in her mouth, ignoring the slight metallic tang of it.

" Careful with that thing."

She jumped up as Atticus' voice sounded from behind her. The self-proclaimed referee had taken a step back from the duel (there was some huge, spike covered lizard that kept attacking a little red sports car on Syrus' side. Lia couldn't even begin to figure out why.), and was kneeling beside her (she'd sank down to her knees and then into a cross-legged position at some point). All pretence of humour and silliness was gone from his face. The cocky, crazy teenaged boy who swung down from rafters and talked like he was on a reality show 24/7 had vanished like smoke in the breeze. In his place was the serious young man who'd tried to get her to run when he'd realized she'd be the first to die.

" I'm serious, you could put an eye out with it." He gestured to the stone, trying to smile to make it seem like he was making a joke. But his eyes were too serious, his mouth was too grim, and the arm he had on her shoulder was too tight for him to ever fool her.

Silently, she held it out to him.

He took it, tugging on the chain a little.

" I never figured out what this thing was supposed to do." He said at length, not looking up from the stone. Lia nodded, feeling the air around them press in on her. It all but robbed her of her voice. " You get any clues over the summer?"

She shook her head.

" There's no way it isn't important, or else Yasmin wouldn't have given it to you."

" Died to give it to me, you mean." Lia said before she could stop herself. For a split second, everything froze, like she was numb, and then horror began to fill her. Slapping her hands over her mouth, she willed the words back, as if wishing for it hard enough would make it come true. Atticus shifted, and his bangs fell into his eyes.

" Yeah, that's what I meant." He turned the stone over. " I loved her , you know."

Lia nodded, fighting back the urge to beg for his forgiveness; she'd tried that before the summer, and all Atticus had done was ruffle her hair and tell her she was a good kid.

" I truly loved her, with all my heart." Atticus continued. " I know you probably think that it's crazy, because she was a card and all, but...I loved her, like a man loves a woman." He paused, laughing a little sardonically. " Or in my case, another man as well."

" Okay." Lia whispered, because it was the only thing she could manage at the moment. Atticus turned to look at her, and in his eyes was enough heartbreak to tear Lia asunder. She trembled.

" Listen to me, Lia, I loved Yasmin. And she died to give this," he held up the stone, " to you. So it must be important. And you must be important as well, alright?"

Lia nodded again.

" Yasmin knew the consequences, but she still did it, and that means that whatever is going to happen, you're going to have a part in it. Big or small, you have a part to play, or else none of thing makes any sense."

" I think..." Lia whispered, feeling smaller and weaker than she had ever before, except looking into the eyes of the Beasts, " ...I think that...whatever it is...it's already started."

Atticus' dark eyes narrowed.

" Chazz." He muttered. Then he looked at Lia, who was shaking ever so slightly, and biting her lower lip until it threatened to bleed.

" Are you scared?" He asked, and before she could stop herself, Lia was nodding.

Because she was scared. That was what the foreboding feeling in the pit of her stomach had been. That was what had paralyzed her when Chazz had hugged her. That was the feeling that had made her lash out at Aster Phoenix. She could feel the charge in the air, an almost palpable surge of power rippling through it, and, following at its heels like hounds on the scent of a fox, was the unmistakeable feeling of a shift in the winds. And for people who had literally looked into the face of Hell the year before, those winds never boded well.

So Lia was terrified. Terrified of what was going to happen, terrified of who it would take from them (hadn't it already taken Jaden?), terrified of the fact that her stone burned every time she got near Chazz.

Suddenly, Atticus pulled her closer and wrapped one arm around her back, the other reaching down to put the stone in her hand. Lia went very still.

" Nothing's gonna happen to you. I promise you. Yasmin might not be around anymore, but I am, and come Hell or high water, I will protect you."

Lia had never had any siblings. She grown up an only child, usually on the move with her mother to ancient gravesites, or else with her grandparents, both paternal and maternal, being raised on either fine French wine and what it meant to be a good French woman, or on pizza and hotdogs just a little outside of New York. Her father had all but walked out of her life when she was five-years-old, and three years later he was dead in far-away Africa. Her grandfather, while loving and gentle, spent more time reading to her than anything else, and her cousins were scattered across the globe. She'd never really had someone older to rely on, someone who was young enough to still remember what she was going through.

If this was what having a brother felt like, maybe she could get used to Claude.

Atticus pushed the stone deeper into her palm, being careful not to prick her with the point.

" You'll be just fine."

And the final explosion of the duel sent a flash of light blazing across the area, blinding the spectators. When it faded, Atticus was back by his sister and Bastian, and Lia had tucked the stone back under her shirt.

The only proof that Atticus had made his vow was the small smile on Lia's face.

* * *

Jaden stared at the cards in wonder.

" These cards...my cards..."

A euphoric smile slowly made its way to his face.

He whipped around the dolphin man standing beside him.

" Aquos, do you know what these are?"

" Judging from the look on your face, I assume something good?" The dolphin-oid alien said with a vaguely British accent. Jaden nodded, too high on delight to even notice that the alien was humouring him.

" These are my cards! The ones I made!" He was bouncing on the balls of his feet. " I drew these when I was ten years old! Kami-sama!" He breathed, slipping into his native tongue without realizing it. " I haven't seen these in years."

He looked down at the cards, a warm rush of affection making him feel dizzy. Here, right in front of him, clasped in his hands, were the cards he'd spent weeks pouring over, designing and colour and giving attacks and abilities to. Here were the cards he'd created with his own two hands, laminated and shiny, ready for him in a way he could never have begun to imagine. Another wave of affection, this time for Kaiba Corp, washed through him, and he started spinning on the spot, shouting in Japanese.

Aquos watched him, shaking his head and sighing.

" And this is the person the whole universe is depending on."

Then he looked again and Jaden was carefully shuffling his cards into his deck, the light from the stars hanging in the sky above reflecting off their backs. There was a burning look in his eyes, and instinctively, the neospacian knew that Jaden would sooner cut off his own hand than let anyone take those cards away from him.

The dolphin man smiled.

Maybe everything would be alright after all.

Then Jaden turned to him.

" Say, Aquos?"

" Yes Jaden?"

" If the whole universe depends on balance, and it's like ketchup and fries, then which am I, the ketchup or the fries?"

* * *

Well, I don't think there's anything here that you guys can't figure out for yourselves. See you all next week.

MoS


	14. Telling Tales

Warnings: This is me taking a breather. Yes, writing this thing affects me too. Before you freak out about having to read a re-cap chapter (I'm trying to go for the feel of the original series, and animes usually have a re-cap episode, although mine is more character driven then plot driven), read the AN at the bottom. Until then!

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

Jaden was aware that he was probably hallucinating.

After being all but torpedoed off the chunk of land floating in the sea of stars, he'd awoken on very familiar shores. Of course, the other shores had seemed very familiar as well, until he'd looked up and seen what looked like Jupiter, suspending in the air next to the beach. Jaden had considered for a second that he'd just fallen asleep at the wheel, and was dreaming, but then he'd remembered the comet, and remembered the panic, and remembered the bright light speeding towards him like a car on a highway.

So he'd assumed he was dead, and that the strange place, a mixture of Earth and space, was whatever afterlife awaited him.

Of course, then the dolphin man had shown up, and any ideas he had of what was going on were blown completely out of the metaphorical water.

In the end, he'd dueled some computerized-voiced bucket of bolts, with cards that he'd never thought he'd see again. Cards he'd created himself, using only a packet of crayons and his imagination. Cards he'd loved through every duel he'd ever had since he'd sent them away.

Cards he was so achingly proud to say now made up his deck.

But, just being dropped off at Duel Academy didn't mean he could rush off to use them in a duel. For starters, he had to find his way back to his dorm, or the school or any familiar land mark that could point him in the right direction.

And to the end, he'd wandered around aimlessly, looking for anything familiar to spark his memory of where he was on Academy Island. He'd been at it for days, just walking around, calling out and trying to find a sign of some kind. He was cold, he was tired, and above all, he was hungry.

And that was why he was currently hallucinating.

For the split second before his vision had blurred, he could've sworn he'd seen Wheeler the monkey leaning over him, a look that was surprisingly close to concern for a monkey in his dark eyes. But then the view had swam dangerously, and Jaden had felt dizzy, and before he knew what was going on, he was passing out, the ground rushing up to meet him in a green blur.

When he opened his eyes, he was in the Abandoned Dorm, flashlight in hand, and pictures of the Millennium Items gleaming in the moonlight.

_Jaden flickered his light around so that it caught the strange inscriptions on the walls of the dank room the two boys were looking around. The wall was better preserved than the others in the room, and displayed images of several oddly shaped, gold coloured object, all branded with a strange looking eye at their centers. In the picture, light emitted from the eye, and bathed the writing in a soft glow._

_Intrigued, Jaden brought his light up with one hand, and gently ran the fingers of the other along the writing. A slight tingle entered the tips of his fingers, and he was surprised to find that the wall itself seemed to radiate warmth. He drew his finger over the triangular shape of the upside down pyramid, and the warmth surged up through his fingers to his arm, to his shoulder, and then down his chest and legs and right into the tips of his toes._

_" Wow." He murmured, slightly breathless, and pressed his whole palm against the wall. A circle of heat began to pleasantly heat up against his skin, and beside him, Winged Kuriboh popped into being._

_The spirit let out a soft cooing noise, and Jaden lazily turned his head to regard it._

_" You feel it too, right bro?" The ball of brown fur bobbed up and down in affirmation. " It's just…I have no clue what this is but…it feels…"_

_Jaden leaned forward and pressed his forehead directly against the eye on the sketch of the Millennium puzzle._

_" It feels safe."_

_" Slacker!"_

He jolted up, looking wildly around. The pictures he'd been tracing, leaving glowing, golden lines in the wake of his finger, faded from under his hand. He was in the duel arena, the stands filled to the bursting, and Chazz across from him, dressed in his ragged, dark coat and half exuberant, half terrified eyes nearly burning through Jaden. The Slifer threw a hazardous glance up into the crowd, and scowled when he found the elder Princetons there, looking smug and sleazy.

Chazz was pointing a finger at him. Behind him, rising up like a mountain of metal, red and brown armour, and spikes, was his Level 5 Armed Dragon.

As always, Jaden felt a swell of appreciation for the monster swell in his chest.

_" That's sweet, Chazz. I mean, it's awesome." He gestured to his deck. " I hope I can live up to the standard you just set."_

_" Don't count on it." The former Obelisk sneered._

_" Well, I won't know unless I try. Go, Hero Ring!"_

_The shield appeared in front of Burstinatrix._

_" Sorry Chazz, but with Hero Ring equipping Burstinatrix, monsters with 1900 or more attack points can't attack."_

_" Too bad." Chazz shrugged, still smirking. " Looks like you __can't__ measure up to me."_

_" What do you mean?" Jaden asked, completely puzzled._

_" Armed Dragon's special ability lets me destroy one of your monsters so long as I discard a monster to the Graveyard with the same or less attack points than the monster I'm destroying. So that means…"_

_Chazz slipped a card into the slot that was designated for the Card Graveyard. The Armed Dragon reared its head and let out a bellow as Chazz raised his hand._

_"It's bye-bye Burstinatrix!"_

_The small spikes on the dragon took off in a ray of orangy-red, shooting out all over the duel arena and causing some of the students to gasp in surprise._

_" Sorry, Burst." Jaden whispered. Burstinatrix nodded gravely._

_And then she was consumed in the fiery blast. Jaden winced, covering his head with his hands, and mourned silently for the monster._

_" And now," came Chazz's voice through the haze of the smoke, " for his direct attack! Inferno Roar!"_

_And then Jaden was in considerable pain. A blast of heat ripped across his senses, searing through his jacket and shirt right down again his skin, where it blistered and stung. The heat surged over his body, and his mind wondered how it was that a __hologram__ was managing to do it. And then the force behind the blow caught up with the heat, and Jaden found himself careening backwards, falling head over heels, and crashing soundly into the metal floor of the stadium, groaning as his ribs protested loudly to the treatment._

_" Ow." He muttered, muffled by the fact that his face was squashed into the floor._

_" So this is Duel Academy's best, huh?" Chazz groused. " This place musta been dragging me down big time, if I let myself get beat by the likes of __you__."_

_" Hey Chazz?" Jaden said, slowly climbing to his feet. His bangs fell into his face and his eyes were cast in an eerie shadow._

_" What Slacker?"_

_" Seeing as how this duel is far from over," Jaden tilted his head up into the light, smirking as he wiped a smudge of dirt away from his cheek, " you might wanna shut up."_

_There was a stunned silence, from both Duel Academy and North Academy, but the air around Chazz plummeted in temperature, and the glare he gave to Jaden could have frozen lava._

_" You tell 'im, Jay!" Syrus shouted from the crowd behind him, and suddenly, all of Duel Academy seemed to unfreeze at the same time. A cheer slowly roses from his part of the stands, building and building like a wave getting ready to hit the rocks. And as the wave crashed, the noise shook the lights attached to the ceiling, swinging them back and forth in fervent approval of Jaden's smirk_.

" Hey Chazz!" He called, only half aware that the duel arena had vanished and he was back in the middle of some unknown forest, with Chazz staring down at him with only mild disapproval, instead of the look of open hostility he'd been sporting not three seconds earlier. " This is fun, right?"

" Yeah, yeah." Chazz muttered, hopping off in a way that way very monkey like. Jaden made to follow him, but swayed on his feet and sank to his knees, feeling weak.

" Damnit Slacker, just stay still!" Chazz's gruff voice floated back to him. " You've already fucked yourself up enough. I'll be right back, so stay put!"

Jaden, despite the black at the edges of his vision, smiled.

" I knew you cared, Chazz." He whispered to himself, an odd feeling of contentment rippling through him. As the black spread, the green of the grass in front of him faded, and suddenly, he could see the duel arena again, clear as day. But this time, Slade and Jagger Princeton were on the platform with them, and from the looks on their faces, they were ready to beat the living daylights out of Chazz.

_" But, he was…" Chazz trailed off, staring at Bastian, who had Jagger's wrist in a tight grip, and was bending it backwards slightly._

_" That's __quite__ enough of that." The British boy said conversationally._

_" Let me go you punk!"_

_" Now, now, try to control your temper. You're on national television, after all."_

_" Those cameras are shut off." Slade snapped._

_" Oh, are they?" Bastian raised an eyebrow, and pointed._

_The cameramen and the director with the megaphone were surrounded by a giggling group of Obelisk girls, who were batting their eyelashes and sticking their well-outlined chests out into greater focus. Beside them, completely unnoticed, Lia and two other girls (one a blonde and the other a redhead whose brown roots were showing) had angled one of the cameras at the stadium floor. As she noticed the eyes on her, Lia smirked and gave a little wave._

_" So the asshole thing is a family trait. Must be a genetic defect."_

_" You okay up there, Lia?" Alexis called. " How are the cameras?"_

_" They're a bit different that what I'm used to," she said, " but Jessica seems to know what she's doing."_

_She indicated the blonde, who popped up from behind the lens of the camera and smiled a very fake smile._

_" We've got some __great__ lighting in here. " She purred, smoothing out the wrinkles in her Blue uniform. " You two are very photogenic. Right Miriam?"_

_The redhead nodded._

_" Oh yeah, totally. You guys, like, totally deserve to be on TV." She snickered at her own joke._

_" You little bitches!" Slade shouted, marching over to where the swinging ladder that led up the platform was. " If you break any of that equipment-"_

_" Oh, go fuck yourselves." Mindy snapped as she jumped down off the platform. " We're not scared of a couple of playground bullies, are we girls?"_

_A rousing chorus of 'Hell no!"s had Slade stepping back, scowling, and yelling at Jagger to hurry up so they could leave._

Jaden smiled as he watched Lia lean over the railing, waving at him. The world swam again, and suddenly, he was back in the classroom on his first day, cowering under the furious glare of a cold-eyed girl.

" _And it says here," She indicated to a spot on the paper Jaden couldn't see, " that we will be looking at the victims of the conflicts, is that right?"_

_" Yes, Lia."_

_" Then please, __sir__-"_

_" I want some more?" Jaden interrupted, a Cheshire cat grin pasted in his face. The class turned to look at him, momentarily delivered from the confrontation of student and teacher by his jest, and several boys snickered under their breath. He highly doubted that the girl – Lia, he corrected himself again – would be so appreciative, and turned his grin on his victim, delighting in the full power her furious gaze zeroing in on him like a homing beacon, with all the trembling intensity of a wronged woman. Her hazel eyes were narrowed in vicious dislike and Jaden tried very hard not to burst out laughing, because her nose had crinkled up in her anger and it made her look almost unbearably cute, like a miffed kitten, prideful and scorned. Jaden resisted the urge to stroke the top of her head and playfully meow at her, like he would have done with his neighbour's cat back home. Lia let out a rather enraged breath of air and scowled at him more, her lips curling in obvious distaste._

_'__I think I made her mad__.' He thought calmly, watching the way her hands clenched into fists. She turned her head away from his with a prideful 'hmph!, brown curls tossing lightly against the fabric of her turtleneck. Mentally, Jaden couldn't stop himself from cooing at her, because she was acting like the kitty-cat he knew, when he denied her a taste of whatever he was eating. The girl grit her teeth against the words that were obviously __begging __to be spewed at him, and faced the teacher once more._

Jaden smiled as she continued to glare at him so hard he was surprised that there wasn't a hole being burned right through him. His panic at being in the wrong class had only served to set her off even more, as he remembered.

_" Jaden," Mr. Stein said boredly, " calm down. This sort of thing happens all the time. A kid doesn't look at what he's checking off and ends up in the wrong class. You'll just have to go to the Chancellor's office and have your courses switched, no big deal. Just go at lunch, and you can be out of this class by tomorrow or so."_

_"Remerciez Dieu." Lia hissed._

_"Huh?" __Jaden asked, almost certain that she had just said something mean in another language._

_" She said 'Thank God'" One of the girls behind him translated._

_" In what language?" Her friend asked._

_" French. Duh." The first girl rolled her eyes. " I'm just gonna take a stab in the dark here, but I don't think she likes you very much." The girl pointed to the fuming Lia, who scowled when he made eye contact._

_" Wha?" He flinched when she glared at him. Kitten-ish as it may be, having a girl angry, particularly a girl that could glare like that, only meant bad things as far as Jaden was concerned._

_" Sorry." He said, bending full at the waist like his culture demanded. He met her steely eyes. " Should I say it in Japanese? Would that make it more sincere? Because I'll do that if you want me t-"_

_" Shut. Up." The girl snarled, and Jaden felt the first shivers of doom go up his back._

_"L-Let me make it up to you, okay?" He paused, and snapped his fingers. " How about a duel after school, okay?"_

_The girl looked at him eyes that may as well have been hazel coloured chips of ice and said, in a voice that distinctly reminded him of a lion's right before it roared,_

_" I don't duel."_

The Lia in front of him suddenly smiled, her whole face transforming.

" You idiot. What were you thinking, running around without having eaten in days?" She shook her head in exasperation, but Jaden saw the concern in her eyes. She'd changed so much since he'd first met her.

_Abruptly, Lia pulled away from Bastian, her carry-on sliding to the floor with a dull thunk. Without looking at Bastian's surprised face, Lia tore back to the gathered group, her hair falling over her eyes and a faint blush on her cheeks._

_As she reached them, Alexis turned around to look at her, her eyes wide._

_" Lia, what-?" She started, but Lia barrelled into her, almost knocking them both off their feet. She curled her fingers into Alexis' collar, hauled the girl down, and firmly kissed her on one cheek. Then she shifted her head and kissed the other cheek. Barely pausing in motion, Lia reached up, twirled around Alexis, and grabbed Atticus, who had been standing next to his sister when Lia had come running back. She jumped up, used his chest to balance herself, and pressed a kiss to each of his cheeks as well. She pushed off of him, not meeting his stunned eyes, and dropped down to her knees in front of Syrus, giving him the same treatment. She proceeded to do the same to Jaden and Brier, the latter of whom protested loudly and the former of whom she clung to tightly. Turning to Zane after giving Jaden once last squeeze, she averted her eyes, reached up slowly, and looked at him, then looked back at her feet. The older boy opened his mouth to say something, but Lia beat his to the punch, darting up as quick as a cat and kissing his cheek, and then pulling away as quickly as she could and not looking at him as she marched over to Chazz. Zane brushed a hand along the skin her lips had touched, wondering if the girl realized she'd just kissed him in the same place she'd slapped him._

_Chazz backtracked quickly as Lia stalked towards him, a look of panic on his face._

_" Oh fuck no!" He swore, throwing out his hands to ward her off. " No, no, nononono!" His back hit the wall. "No! No fucking way in fucking hell!" He stumbled backwards, trying to get away from her. " Don't you fucking dare you goddamn bit-"_

_Lia flicked him on the nose._

_" Ow! What the hell?" Chazz slapped his hands over his reddening nose and glared at Lia through watering eyes._

_She smiled at him._

_" Try not to let your brothers rag on you too much." She said, turning away. Chazz blinked, confused. " That's __my__ job, after all."_

_She walked away from him, grinning to herself and linking her hands behind her back. Chazz blinked again, lowered his hands, and watched her go, a strange look that was half confusion and half dawning realization creeping up onto his face._

_As she passed them, Lia averted her eyes, staring at her feet as she shuffled past, her face almost glowing. Alexis made as if to grab her shoulder, but both Jaden and Atticus placed a hand on each of her shoulders, shaking their heads when she shot them a puzzled look. Lia walked past the group, her head still down and her fingers clenching behind her back. Abruptly, when she was in front of them all, she turned on her heel and faced them._

_On her face was the brightest, most beautiful smile anyone had ever seen her give. Somewhere in his mind, Jaden smiled back as he realized his prediction had been one hundred percent right._

_"Chez nous, c'est comment nous disons 'au revoir'." __She tilted her head a little to the side and giggled at their stunned faces._

Lia leaned down, carefully putting something in his hands.

" Get some food in you, dumbass, or else these hallucinations are just gonna get worse."

" What?" Jaden tried to grin at her, but the smile was weak. " You mean you might suddenly burst into song?"

Lia scowled at him.

" You make me sing, even as a hallucination, and I'll kick your ass when you get back."

Jaden gave her a mock salute as she turned back.

" I'm gonna get you some water."

" Cool!" Jaden waved the banana clutched unconsciously in his hand. " I'll be here."

" You'd better be!" Was all he heard as she faded into the distance. If he strained his ears, he thought he could hear her humming.

" She's come a long way, hasn't she?" Jaden whispered to the air around him.

" I'll say!"

Jaden shot up off the grass he'd been lying on, his eyes wide. Before, his face pulled back in a smile and a bucket in his arms, was Syrus Trusedale.

" Sy? That you?"

" The boy nodded.

" Of course! Who else will make sure you're taking care of yourself, aniki?"

" _Jay, how do you say 'brother' in Japanese."_

" _Huh?" The other Slifer blinked at the sudden question. " I guess...you could say 'Onii-chan', even though it's kinda girly."_

" _Is there a less girly way to say it?"_

_Jaden paused, tapping his lower lip as he thought._

" _You could also say 'Aniki'. That's a more masculine way, I think. I don't know. Fuyubi-chan always called me onii-chan, but that was about the only feminine thing about her."_

" _Who?"_

" _My cousin, Fuyubi Yuki."_

" _Oh." There was a pause, in which Jaden opened his mouth to ask where the questions had come from. But Syrus cut him off, looking away. " Jaden?"_

" _Yeah Sy?"_

" _Can...Can I call you...aniki?"_

_There was a beat of silence, in which Jaden sat straight up in the chair, his eyes wide. Syrus clenched his hands in the rug, willing the conversation not to turn ugly with all his heart. A second later, a shadow fell over him, and Syrus felt a warm hand place itself on his shoulder._

" _Sy." Jaden's voice was warm and soft, and suddenly, Syrus felt like he was home. _

" _I'd be honoured, Syrus."_

Syrus set the bucket down, crouching so that he was at eye-level with Jaden.

" You saved me Jay, you know that. So no matter what happens from here on in, I want you to know that I will always have faith in you. I will always believe in you. And I know, aniki, that you will always come to the rescue, no matter what."

Jaden's breath caught, his whole world slowing as he looked into the soft gray of Syrus' eyes. There was a fire burning in them, a fire that told him his friend not only believed in him, but would stand by his side regardless of the charge against him. Jaden took a deep breath, the air rushing into his lungs shakily. He looked down into the bucket of water to compose himself.

" Thanks Sy." He whispered, and felt a small hand pat the top of his head.

And as Jaden downed the bananas Wheeler had provided him with, stopping only to gulp some water when the consumed fruit blocked his air paths, the vision of Syrus (or any other of his friends) faded to reveal the primate he'd dueled for Jasmine and Lia's safety the year before.

And somewhere, across the Pacific, with only the moonlight streaming through his open window to see by, Zane shrugged on his new black coat, smirking as the ends fell into a dramatic flare that just barely swept the floor when he walked.

" A perfect fit." He purred, reaching forward to trace the line of his jaw in the mirror.

" For the Hell Kaiser, that is."

* * *

Before any of you get too upset, yes, I admit it: I skipped Zane's descent into Hell Kaiser.

(ducks projectiles)

Would you all just WAIT a damn minute! I skipped over it HERE! I never said there wasn't going to be a twisted flashback later on! Which there is. Which I have already written, and is cropping up in about 30+ chapters. You'll get your Batshit!Zane, I promise.

The reason I went this route is because at this point in writing the story, I did NOT feel anywhere near confident enough in my writing abilities to write Hell Kaiser. I was honestly scared shitless about havign to write him. My solution? Put him off until I've managed to write several dozen chapters in which things get progressively darker and darker until I feel like I can write Zane's descent into madness and do it WELL. And by well, I mean not fucking it up so much that it comes off like a joke. At this point, I just wasn't ready to write that. By the time I got to it, I was. And I actually like the result a lot.

And now, for this chapter. The episode this chapter is taking place in is, of course, the obligatory re-cap episode. Every anime has them. I kinda wanted to try one. I makes me feel like I'm really writing for the show, or at least, in the universe the show takes place in. Also, I needed a breather. I get emotionally invested in these characters. There are stories, unwritten only int he act of putting pen to paper, in which I am forced to KILL off my O.C.'s. And it hurts me. And while no one's dead here (yet. Am I kidding? You figure it out.), by the time I was writing this, I was in the planning stages for several of the up-coming, rather dark chapters, including Alexis' becoming part of the Society, what I consider to be Mindy's crowning moment for this fanfic, and what I have affectionately been calling 'The Domino City Rain Scene', all of which are pretty emotional and moving pieces to write. I needed time to THINK, but I also had a schedule to keep. My solution? Give you those of you who HAVEN'T been going back and re-reading 'The Academic' something to compare the characters to. Most re-cap episodes are about pointing out what's happened in the plot so far. I always felt that the GX re-cap episode had the undertones of being about the characters, which I have brought to the foreground here. This is for all of you to see EXACTLY how far everyone has come since the start of Year One. And while we're on the topic, it just tickles me more than I can say that some of you are going back and reading Lia's introduction and taking note of the changes. That makes me so happy! And I don't really know why!

But you guys don't really think I'd leave you with THIS cop-out for another week, do you?

There's another update right after this one, in which the ball gets rolling.

And I leave you all on a horrible cliff-hanger. ...

See you all in 'Gathering Storm'!

MoS


	15. Gathering Storm

Warnings: Creepy!Chazz is back! And he's CREEPIER!

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

Alexis should've guessed it was going to be one of _those_ weeks the second Jaden vanished.

From the anguished look in Jaden's eyes to the feverish quality in Chazz's voice to the way both Lia and Atticus seemed to be on edge for one reason or another, everything around pointed to the fact that the week was building up to something, and whatever that something was, there was no way it was going down easily.

" They can't do this."

Alexis twitched as she read the sign.

" Correction. They can, and they have."

Lia was beside her, tapping her foot in irritation, a scowl darkening her features.

" How do they expect to get away with this?"

" Crowler's the head of the school, Lex, figure it out."

" Isn't this classified as abusing his power?"

" Probably."

" So what do we do now?"

" Why are you looking at me? You're the Duelist here."

" I know, I just...I want a second opinion."

" From me?"

" It's either you or Atticus."

" Good point. Look, I think...Well, maybe...,ah merde, I don't know! Just duel and win."

" Easy for you to say. You don't have the fate of the Red Dorm hanging over you."

" Maybe not, but how do you think I'd feel if this place got destroyed? I've got some fond memories, you know."

" I'm sorry, I know you love this place too, it's just...I'm freaking out a little."

" Why?"

" You're seriously asking me that?"

" Lexi, I don't know how to tell you this, but you're _Alexis Rhodes_! Queen of Obelisk Blue? Best female Duelist in the school? ...Um, certified Badass?"

" ...You made that last one up."

" Well, you could be, for all we know."

" Nah, there's a bunch of paperwork that needs to be filled out in order to qualify. I've never had the patience for that sort of thing."

" I'll help you."

" For real?"

" Yeah, I just finished most of my major projects for the next five weeks, so I've got a lot of free times coming up."

" Great! We can start on the tax return forms!"

" Tax returns?"

" Oh, apparently, once you're certified as a badass, you get some kind of special tax return, or something."

" Mmm. ...Lex?"

" Yeah?"

" Did we just start talking seriously about applied for a certificate of Badassery?"

" I don't why you're surprised, we go off on tangents like this all the time."

" Yeah, I know, it's just...do you really think now's an appropriate time?"

" Not really. But sometimes, it's like my mouth just goes off without me. Like I have no control over what I'm saying."

" Huh. Weird."

" Yeah."

" How long?"

" Huh?"

" How long until you duel?"

" Well, it's what? Seven, Seven-thirty now? And the duel is at...Oh come on!"

" What?"

" Midnight! The stupid duel is at midnight! I'm gonna be running on coffee and adrenaline by the end of it!"

" Hey."

" What?"

" Maybe if you're very lucky, Jaden will show up and duel for you."

" I've never been that lucky. What I wouldn't give."

" Yeah, yeah. ...Well, I'm gonna head over to the library."

" What for?"

Lia turned to face her blonde friend, an unholy grin (frighteningly similar to the one she'd given Zane once the Academic had figured out that the older boy disapproved of her influence over his younger brother) lighting up her face. With the pale light of the moon barely making a dent in the shadows, and the eerie yellow glow from the light on the porch throwing only half of the brunette's face into sharp relief, she looked quite scary. For a second, Alexis imagined that if a goblin girl had brown hair and stood at about a meter seventy-six , she would look like Lia Shanner.

Then she blinked, shook her head, and the image vanished.

" Oh, just a little research." Lia flipped her braid over she shoulder, letting it fall against her shoulder blades. Alexis felt a cold lump of fear drop into her stomach.

" What...kind of research?"

Lia's grin went from unholy to downright hellish.

" School rules and regulations."

" But...But Crowler's head of the school." Alexis stammered, a bubble of hope springing to life in her chest. " He can change the rules."

" He can change _some_ rules." Lia started walking away. " And even those have forms that need to be filled out, sent to the Board, reviewed before a panel, and then voted on before the changes can be enacted or not. Really, the whole process can take months."

" Are you sure?" Alexis trotted to catch up.

" Positive." Lia paused for a second, putting a hand on the older girl's shoulder. " Lexi, you get some sleep. I've got rule books to read."

Alexis watched her go, fading into the darkness of the forest that surrounded the Red Dorm. With a sigh, the older girl turned back to the building before her, headache already starting to form. Pinching the bridge of her nose, and closing her eyes in exasperation, she turned towards the sign that had been erected in front of the Red Dorm earlier that evening when the girls had taken a boat to the mainland to see a movie.

" ' The Red Dorm is hereby declared unfit to house the students of Duel Academy, effective immediately. It will therefore be torn down, and the students living there will either return to their respective Dorms, or undergo promotional testing to advance out of the Slifer Dorm. Vice-Chancellor Bonaparte.'" She read, grimacing as if the very words put a bad taste in her mouth.

" It's unfortunate." Chazz wandered up, arms crossed over his chest. Even in the bad lighting, his jacket almost shone white, and Alexis averted her eyes, her headache worsening. Chazz was another thing for her to worry about. His behaviour had bypassed annoying and jumped into frightening in just a few days. The snarky, sarcastic boy she was used to had vanished like a candle that had been snuffed out. In his place was a polite, calm gentleman who'd yet to yell at anyone for anything, let alone hurl his usual insults or make his (now tamer) advances at her. The more Alexis had watched him, the more Lia's fears seemed to be more than just confusion and stress. There _was_ something terribly wrong with Chazz, that much was obvious. What any of them were supposed to do about it remained a mystery.

" Is it?" She asked cautiously, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. He was looking at the sign with a mixture of apathy and regret, his dark eyes focused on it and his mouth pursed.

" Yes. I was just starting to get used to this place. It's actually quite homey." Chazz spared her a knowing smile, and Alexis chalked up another point on her mental scoreboard under the heading 'Proof that something's very, very WRONG with Chazz'. The former Obelisk would sooner slit his own throat and cast his body into the depths of the sea surround Academy Island than admit the affection they all knew he held for the Slifer Dorm. He'd also never smile at her like that, a smile that was all polite interest and not at all his usual attempts at seduction.

" You think?" She prompted.

" Yeah." Chazz nodded, his black spikes bouncing. " I was finally starting to feel comfortable here. Given time, I'd've been able to help you all see the Light."

Alexis jolted at that, the cold lump back at full force.

" What do you mean by that?" She fought to keep her voice even. " What do you mean, The Light?"

Chazz turned to look at her, and Alexis almost recoiled at the feverish quality his eyes had taken on. They were glazed, staring at her without really seeing her at all. His cheeks were flushed with delight, burning pink against the deathly pale pallor of his skin. Somewhere in the back of her head, Alexis registered that Chazz, even in his worry over Syrus the year before, had never been so sickly looking before. It seemed like all the colour in his face had been sucked into his eyes, which had bypassed glittering and gone right to burning, two grey stars set in a horribly pale face. They looked at her, and then into her, seeking out every wicked action and unworthy deed she'd ever committed, and she felt bile rise in her throat, burning as painfully as Chazz's eyes must be.

" The Light is the answer." He said softly, and she added another stroke to the board in her head. Chazz never said anything softly. Chazz never did anything that could be considered quiet. He was brash and loud and never did anything unless it involved him being the center of attention. So Chazz speaking softly, smiling gently, looking so deeply into her that she was pretty sure he could read her thoughts, was so terribly wrong it made her head spin.

" The Light is the beautiful answer to everything. It will wipe away the darkness that has engulfed the world. It will brighten everything until we can all see the way again. We've been blinded by the darkness for so long that we can't see the path that's lying at our feet, and we can't follow it to our true destiny. But the Light will fix all that, Alexis, I promise. We'll be able to see again. The Light will make it all better."

He'd placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling at her out of his too-bright eyes. This time, she did recoil, shrugging out from under his grip, the skin crawling where he had touched it. Beside her, Cyber Tutu shimmered into being, glaring viciously at Chazz. She batted his hand away, yanking her leg back as if to kick him. Alexis reached forward without thinking, grabbing her arm and pulling.

" _Keep away!"_ Tutu snarled, struggling against Alexis' hold. _" You keep away! Don't you touch her, you monster!"_

" Tutu!" Alexis hissed, shocked at the language. Cyber Tutu whipped around, tears gathering in her pretty green eyes

" _He's burning!_" She pointed at Chazz, who was watching the display with just a little too much interest. _" He's burning, just like those cards! He's all cold on the inside and blazing on the outside, and it's wrong, wrong, __**wrong**__!"_

" There's nothing wrong." Chazz whispered, reaching forward to touch Tutu's arm. The duel spirit jumped away, putting herself between Alexis and Chazz.

" _Don't touch! Don't ever touch!_" She shouted, spreading her arms to protect Alexis. _" I won't let you! I absolutely will not let you!"_

" You've been blinded too." Chazz sighed, pulling away. " And now, you're blinding Alexis as well."

" Cyber Tutu would never do anything to hurt me!" Alexis snapped at the same time Tutu yelled, _" I won't ever let you!"_

Alexis jumped at the volume of her spirit's voice, and turned to see Cyber Tutu marching forward, poking a finger into Chazz's chest and glaring into his blazing eyes.

" _She will never burn. I'll die first."_

There was a split second of silence, in which Chazz looked right back into the duel spirit's eyes, searching for something. Tutu held his gaze, but Alexis could see her trembling, her whole body shaking with the effort of trying to maintain his gaze. Abruptly, Chazz turned away, back to the sign, and smiled.

" So be it."

And Cyber Tutu collapsed, shivering all over. Alexis ran forward to gather her monster up in her arms, glaring at the boy in white for all she was worth.

" That's enough, Chazz." Her voice cracked over his name, and she cursed herself for it. "I'm gonna go lie down for a few hours now. I better not catch you anywhere near my monster, you hear me? When I wake up, I had better find Tutu perfectly alright or else there'll be hell to pay, got it?."

She hurried away from him, shuddering despite the unusual warmth of the early November evening. Behind her, Chazz waved, still smiling his blank smile.

" Pleasant dreams." He called, and Alexis made sure to lock the door after her.

It wasn't until she was nearly asleep that she realized Chazz had been able to understand Cyber Tutu.

* * *

Aster wasn't sure why he felt his stomach drop out from under him as he walked up the marble walkway to the entrance of Duel Academy. It wasn't because of the duel, he knew that much. He never got nervous before a duel. Many would call that arrogance, or say that his stubborn sense of pride refused to let him contemplate the idea that he would lose, but Aster knew the truth. Destiny was on his side, and it dictated that he was meant to win, no matter what. If people thought of him as arrogant, it only meant that they didn't understand the way the world really was.

So he knew it wasn't the duel that had his innards twisting up into knots.

Maybe it was the idea that there was a threat to be weeded out at the school. Aster was always on the lookout for anything that could threaten either or Sartorius. Especially Sartorius. He still remembered that terrible reading the elder man had done for himself. The idea that his oldest and best friend would one day be in so much trouble made a bitter taste rise in the back of his mouth. Sartorius had always been there for him, even when The D. had been busy with his dueling tour. Sartorius had helped him opening his eyes to the power of Destiny and how it had chosen Aster as its champion long ago.

Aster pushed the depressing thoughts aside, trying hard not to think about Sartorius being assailed by some faceless enemy, Sarina crumpled on the floor behind them. He had a duel to focus on, and while it didn't look like it was going to be as much of a challenge as the last one he'd had at Duel Academy, he still had to focus and win.

Ahead of him, slowly becoming more solid and visible through the thick fog that had gathered, was a group of students, engaged in an argument with two figures still hidden in the mist. From his position, Aster could make out the figure of one of the girls from the last time. For a second, he wondered if it was the brunette, and his cheek twitched in phantom pain. But tumbling off of her head was a cascade of blonde hair, and his scowled deepened as he recognized the Obelisk girl who'd chewed him out after Jaden had collapsed. Next to her was the dark-skinned boy with the sleeves ripped off of his jacket, and the smaller one with blue hair. The two other girls in blue were nowhere to be seen, and, as much as he loved fans, Aster breathed a sigh of relief. It was easier to concentrate when there wasn't a constant undercurrent of cheering for his every move, even the stupider ones.

The girl moved forward, her voice rising, and Aster was finally able to make out the words.

" You honestly think you'll get away with this?" She was almost shouting. " You really think I'll let you?"

"Alexis dear, please calm down." The blond teacher was starting to look a little nervous, but the short, rotund one seemed completely apathetic to the girl's rage.

" Let's see if you're still talking like that _after_ you've met your opponent."

And that was his cue.

Strutting up, his hands lazily shoved into the pockets of his jacket and a cocky smirk on his face, Aster was well aware that he looked like he thought he owned the place. That suited him just fine. He was there to take down whatever threat was looming over him and his career, not make friends.

' _Of course,_' his mind corrected him, ' _if a few cute girls wanna give me their numbers, I'd have to be a gentleman and accept. Sarina would be disappointed otherwise._'

" Hey dudes, what up?" He nodded to the gather group, smirking at the looks of shock that played across their faces. " Long time no see. So, which one of you amateurs gets the honour of having me whip their ass tonight?"

He was being overly cocky, and if the air of hostility that suddenly replaced the shock was anything to go by, he was not making himself very popular, but he wanted to psych his opponent, whoever it was, out as much as possible. A quick duel and a search for this threat Sartorius was so worried about, and then he was back on schedule. Aster wanted whatever was going to happen out of the way as fast as possible.

The girl from the last time closed her mouth, grim look in her brown eyes.

" Him?" She asked the two adults behind her in a steady voice. " He's my opponent?"

" Afraid so." The fat one confirmed, though the grin on his face did not help the sincerity of his apology.

The girl looked Aster up and down, and he noticed that her fist had clenched at her side. Suddenly, a smirk to rival his own broke out onto her face.

" Good. I've been looking for a way to get back at you for what you did to Jaden." She turned and marched up the stairs to the entrance, not even looking at him. " Bring it on, Phoenix."

" You actually think you stand a chance." Aster's eyebrow raised. " Cute."

" Watch it, pal." In her tone was ice. " I've taken down egomaniacs whose necks were as thick as all of you put together." She spared him a cold look over her shoulder. " Trust me, a punk like you has got nothing on the Boogeymen I've face. You don't scare me."

" Oh really?" Aster opened his mouth for a comeback, but the sound of air whistling around an object caught his attention. Turning, he had about two seconds to register that there was a dark lump of _something_ rushing at him out of the misty night before his body reacted, and he flung himself to the side. Without his body to obstruct its path, the object sailed past him and slammed into one of the smaller marble stones that lined the walkway. It shattered with an impressed cracking sound, and the piece were scattered at the feet of the company. Aster glanced down as one hit his left shoe, and was struck by the familiarity of the pattern of green camouflage that was painted on it, the side a deep red.

" My board?" He muttered as he realized what he was seeing. Out of the darkness, an amused voice sounded.

" It appears you miss him, my dear."

An annoyed, frighteningly familiar one answered.

" Well, shit. That's never happened before."

The voice sounded close, and when he turned to the left, he came face to face with a pair of furious hazel eyes. For a split second, he thought he was back in the duel arena, with a snarling girl glaring down at him, the lights hitting her head in a way that made a halo over her curly hair and her eyes daring him to tell her her anger was unjustified. He gulped, and remembered that while Artemis was usually understanding, she was also a goddess of the Greek Pantheon, and they were known for their wrath.

And then he blinked, and she was just a girl, glaring at him, hands on her hips and scowl on her otherwise pretty face. He could just make out the freckles on her nose, multiplied and darkened with sunlight, and the little frissons of red running through her hair. He smiled at her.

" I believe we talked about this _not happening again_." She growled.

" What, you mean it almost hit you _again_?" Aster said in surprise, looking her over for any injuries. The girl quirked an eyebrow.

" I had to duck to avoid decapitation."

" Listen, babe, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean for-"

Her face went livid and she jumped closer, a red flush spreading across her cheeks and nose.

" _What_," if the other girl's tone had been ice, then hers was definitely poison, " _did you just call me_?"

Aster blinked.

" Babe?" He tried cautiously, and then found himself wincing as she slapped him again.

" You do not call me that. You either call me by my name or nothing at all, got it?"

" I didn't get your name last time."

" My name is Lia Shanner, now either use it, or don't talk to me at all."

" Lia, huh? Nah, babe suits you better."

" _What_?"

He deftly avoided her second slapped by dodging under it, and continued walking towards the entrance, half ignoring the stinging of his cheek or the indignant shrieking behind him. He paused as he caught up to the blonde girl.

" You ready to do this?"

" Actually," the boy who'd been with Lia cut in, " you don't have to."

There was a beat of silence.

" What do you mean, 'I don't have to'?" The blonde said angrily. " Of course I do, I want to save the Red Dorm. They'll tear it down otherwise!" She pointed to the teachers standing a little off to the side.

The boy shook his head.

" No, they won't."

" What are you talking about? Get a move on!" The small, pudgy one yelled. " The sooner Alexis loses to Aster, the sooner we can tear the Red Dorm down!"

" On what grounds?" Lia was talking now, her arms crossed as she glared the teacher down.

" Whaddya mean, what grounds?"

" She means," the other boy cut in, and for the first time, Aster noticed the book he had under his arm," that unless you have a valid reason for tearing down the Slifer Dorm, you have no right to make us duel to keep it."

" It's an embarrassment to this school!" The pudgy one was starting to turn red. " It's where all the scum and waste of this school collects and idles away their time! It should've been torn down after the first year! Duel Academy has no need for Slackers!"

" That's not a valid reason." Lia cut in, looking smug. " 'Damages to the structure that make it unsafe for living' is a valid reason. 'Mold that is detrimental to the human respiratory system' is a valid reason. 'Because I don't like it' is not a valid reason."

The other boy smirked at her.

" Unless you have something more than this irrational hatred you seem to harbour for the Slifers, I'm afraid you won't be tearing any dorms down, Red or otherwise."

" This is an outrage!" Now the man had turned purple. " Crowler, tell them that we make the rules, and we will tear down that stain on our school's reputation unless Alexis wins this duel!"

" Oh yeah, go ahead, tell us." Lia's grin was unholy. " But before you do, I have two words for you."

" What?" The blond man seemed nervous.

" Labelling. Theory."

The blond man went white as a sheet and immediately backpedalled until he hit another of the stones lining the walkway.

" Sorry, Bonaparte, you heard the students. Rules are rules and all that. Looks like we can't tear down the Red Dorm after all. Pity that, but oh well, let's just drop the whole thing, shall we?"

" Are you seriously telling me that you're gonna let some Academic nobody boss you around?"

" Don't you call her that!" The blue-haired midget piped up.

" Listen Bonaparte, I really don't think this is the time or place to be discussing this-"

" Listen to _me_, you pansy-ass, I am not about to let a bunch of no-good slackers and an Academic witch push us around! We are tearing down that Dorm, come hell or high water!"

" No, you're not." The boy with Lia said, crossing his arms. " And if you do, Lia and I will see to it that you have to stand before the Board and explain your actions to them."

" And calling me an 'Academic witch', in that tone, really isn't going to help you."

" You black-mailing, conniving little bi-"

" Look," Aster interrupted, feeling thoroughly annoyed and oddly amused by the spectacle, " am I gonna duel somebody tonight or not?"

And, like Heaven had seen fit to answer his question (or, more likely in Aster's opinion, Destiny), a figure came walking resolutely out of the fog, shuffling through a deck of cards, completely oblivious to where he was going. The din of the argument died down as he approached, and only when the total silence of the night around him registered in his mind did he look up, confusion and elation clear on his face.

" Hey guys." Jaden Yuki smiled, question in his brown eyes. " What's everybody standing around out here for?"

* * *

...

You're all free to hate me now, 'cuz I ain't sayin' a word.

Also, Lia chucking the board is one of the first scenes I ever came up with for her. Aster calling her 'babe' is the first thing I decided for him when I started coming up with the concept of Year One. And finally, continuity nod there. Lia's got DIRT on Crowler. Well written, thoroughly researched, evidence-enhanced DIRT.

MoS


	16. Breaking Storm

Warnings: ...Sappy reunion time!

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

No one was really surprised when, after a beat of complete silence so thick, it was hard to breath, that it was Syrus who broke away from the back and went tearing forward.

" Jaden!"

It took a certain kind of heartless bastard to not to smile at the sight of the smaller boy knocking Jaden off his feet with a flying tackle. Jaden let out a painful lungful of air, and went tumbling over, Syrus solidly attached to his middle. There was a wincing-inspiring crack as his back connected with one of the blocks behind him, and everyone could see the way Jaden's arms were flailing about, trying to find something grab onto, but no one was going to say anything, because the sight was a reminder that things had quite suddenly become right again.

Because Jaden was back, and that meant whatever terrible thing they were going to face in the up-coming months (Chazz and his frightening behaviour, the force that had made him like that, the threat of their Dorm – their _home_ – being ripped away from under their feet, Aster and his talk of destiny and all things being pre-planned), they would make it through and be all the stronger for it.

" Ack! Sy! You're crushing my lungs!"

" Oh God, Jay, I was so worried! I thought you were dead or something!"

" I will be if you don't get off me soon!"

" Aniki!"

At Syrus' cry, and the bone-crushing hug he gave Jaden as he did so, the wall that had held the group back shattered like the board against the stone, and suddenly everyone was talking at once, a cacophonous swell of noise that broke over the school steps like a wave over rocks on the shore.

" You're back! Omigod, you're back!"

" Jaden! Don't you ever scare me lahke that again, soldier!"

" Good lord man, you gave us all quite a fright there. We thought we'd lost you for a while."

" Dumbass."

" Hey, Hassleberry, get offa him, you're squishing him!"

" Then whaddya call what you're doin'?"

" I'm hugging my _best friend_!"

" Whah you little-"

" Hey, morons, you're still attached to him. Duke it out after you let go."

" Listen to Lia boys, she's the smart one."

" Lex, look at what you're comparing me to. _Of course_ I'm the smart one."

" I take offense to that."

" Yeah, Bastian, but no one cares."

" That hurts. If Lia's the smart one, what does that make me?"

" The one who doesn't shut up?"

" Lia, that's mean. –"

" Thank you, Alexis."

" – I mean, he's clearly the know-it-all."

" My chest is swelling with love."

" I think that's the second helping of spicy chicken you had at dinner."

" Thanks for that image, Sy."

" No problem."

" Sometahmes, you're a snarky lil'bugger, you know that?"

" I learned from the best."

" Syrus, why are you looking at me?"

" No reason, Lia. No reason."

" You need to work on your innocent face. It's not fooling anybody."

" What are you guys going on about?"

" Nothing Lex."

" Alexis, if I might, I think it might be best to let it go."

" Yeah, listen to the obnoxious British know-it-all."

" Once again, swelling with love here."

" Jeez, that chicken just won't stay down, will it?"

" Not helping me, Syrus."

" Aw, just ignore him, Private Misawa."

" Surprisingly enough, he's rather hard to ignore."

" Yeah, I know."

" I don't know whether to be insulted or flattered."

" I'd be insulted."

" Are you ever not insulted, Ma'am?"

" Not really, no."

" Doesn't that make conversations kahnda hard?"

" Oh, very."

" And this doesn't bother you at all?"

" I've learned to cope."

" And we've figured out that it's all just a defence mechanism."

" Gee, thanks Lexi, just blow my aloof mystique out of the water why don'cha?"

" No problem, Kitten."

" What have I said about that nickname?"

" Never, ever, ever, ever, ever call you that."

" Exactly. Now, why is that that seems to go right over your head?"

" It's cute."

" I give up."

"So do I."

Abruptly, they all stopped talking and looked down at the boy who was still being crushed under the combined weights of the now-glaring-at-each-other Syrus and Hassleberry. With scrambled movements, the aforementioned boys darted off of Jaden, who sat up gingerly, rubbing his abused back and muttering under his breath in Japanese.

" Senaka ni itami wo kanjiru." Was all the other got as he pulled his hand away. With a slightly confused look, he eyed them all.

" Not that I don't appreciate the warm welcome, but what are you guys doing here at," he glanced at the watch on his wrist, " a quarter past midnight on a Friday?"

" What do you think we're doing here?" Aster piped up from the stairs. Lia gave him a glare, which he returned with a wink, causing the girl to flush, snarl, and then duck her head down under the pretence of looking Jaden over for injuries. The boy looked expectantly back up at her, a small frown line marring his forehead.

" Why is Aster Phoenix here?"

Somehow, Aster heard.

" What, not happy to see me after that crushing defeat?"

" No, not happy to see you given that I collapsed in pain at the end of our last duel." Jaden gave him a dark look. " Crushing defeat or no."

The seemed to get him. The younger boy broke eye contact, scuffing the ground with his shoe.

" Listen, about that...I had nothing to do with it, I swear. I was just as surprised to see you fall down as any of the people watching."

" Lying bastard!" Alexis snarled. Beside her, Jaden wasn't all that surprised to see Cyber Tutu making kicking motions in Aster's direction. " You lying sonova-"

" He isn't lying, Lex." That made her look.

" What are talking about? You collapsed after he dueled you and you couldn't see your cards! You've been missing for days because of this...this..."

" Alexis," Jaden said calmly, " running off and getting lost was my stupid decision, not Aster's. Don't blame him for my being a dumbass."

" So you admit it." Jaden glance up to see Lia looking at him through her curly bangs. A second later, she brushed them out of her face, and he was staring into a pair of anxious hazel eyes. With a soft smile, he nodded.

" Yeah, I admit it was stupid. And I admit that I wasn't thinking when I did it. I'm so sorry I had you all worried. That being said," he hurried in, trying to stall the hug he knew Syrus was itching to give as an acceptance of his apology, " let's clear a few things up. Aster had nothing to do with what happened to me. He didn't make me fall down, he didn't make it so I couldn't see my cards. That was something else entirely. And it was my choice to act like a coward and run away. I'm sorry for what I know I must've put you all through."

Alexis, as soon as he'd finished, knelt down beside him and threw her arms around his neck, pulling him close. Jaden returned the hug, smiling as he pressed his face into her hair.

" Hey Lex."

" I was so worried." She sounded like she was fighting back tears.

" I know. I'm sorry."

" You aren't allowed to do that again."

" Okay."

" I meant what I said last year. I'm done pushing my burdens onto your shoulders. If you have a problem, you can come to me about it. I want to help."

" I will Lexi, I promise."

" No matter what it is, I swear I'll help you. You can count on me, Jay."

" Thanks, Alexis." He gave her one last squeeze. " You have no idea how much that means to me."

The girl pulled back, smiling gently at him. Above him, Bastian and Lia leaned over, the boy with a knowing little grin on his face, and the girl with a quirked brow. Beside him, on either side, sat Syrus and Hassleberry, both of them beaming at him. With a grin of his own, Jaden stretched his hand up.

" Anybody gonna help me up?"

To his surprise, Lia's hand darted out, the look on her face one of befuddlement, almost as if she couldn't believe what she was doing. Her hand closed around his, and with a sharp tug, he was pulled to his feet, stumbling a little as he regained his footing. Once he was steady, he turned to thank her, but found that Lia was looking to the side, her bottom lip caught in between her teeth. There was a look of indecision on her face.

" What is it?" Jaden asked, but Lia only shook her head. Without warning, she flung herself forward, one hand curling in his collar so that his face was yanked down (when, exactly, had he gotten taller than her) to her level. Lia darted forward, and Jaden caught sight of her red cheeks before her lips pressed softly against his cheek, and then flitted over to the other one. Lia pulled back immediately after, her face burning red, but her eyes meeting his, a half-smile on her face.

" There's your hello kiss." She said, her voice just a little lower and her accent just a little thicker. " You were...complaining about not getting one in September."

Jaden reached up and rubbed one of the places her lips had touched, feeling his skin warming under his hand.

" Yeah. Thanks." He gave her a smile. " Good to be back."

" You pull shit like this again, and next time it'll be my foot on your face."

" I wouldn't expect any less."

" Stop smiling like that, you smug little prick."

" I thought I was the prick."

Aster had walked over, his hands once against thrust into his pockets, and his face twisted into a look of amused incredulity. He was leaning on one of the stones, one leg bent so that he could rest his shoe on the stone as well. With his head tilted to the side and a small smile playing on his lips, he looked distinctly handsome in the misty moonlight, and Lia scowled at him because of it. Jaden noticed it and looked in between the two, feeling the electricity charge the air as Aster tipped his head in Lia's direction and she bristled like an offended cat.

" Easy, Koneko-chan." The Slifer put a calming hand on her shoulder, which he felt go limp under it. " So Aster, you never explained what you're doing here."

The pro-star shrugged.

" I was supposed to duel someone to see if their dorm or whatever got torn down or not, but since Lia and her boyfriend vetoed that idea, I guess I'm just wasting time." He pushed off the rock.

Bastian raised an eyebrow at his word choice.

" Boyfriend?" He said with an air of disbelief at the same time Lia went pink and nearly yelled, " _Boyfriend_?"

Aster shrugged again.

" You're cute together."

" Bastien is _not_ my-"

" Listen, Aster," Bastian cut in, stepping in front of the almost convulsing Lia, who had gone past red to a reddish purple, " Lia and I are in no way involved, and I find your insinuations to be quite offensive. Next time, don't be so quick to judge the relationship between two friends."

Aster let out a low whistle, rolling his eyes.

" Boy, was that the wrong thing to say, dude."

" I beg your pardon?"

" Offensive?" Lia growled, rounding on Bastian. " _Offensive_? And just, what, Misawa, is so _offensive_ about being mistaken as _my_ boyfriend?"

" Nothing! I simply didn't like that he jumped to conclusions about our relationship."

" What relationship? You seem to be so _offended_ by the fact that we even _have _one!"

" That's not what I meant. You're blowing this completely out of proportion. Why are you being so unreasonable?"

" Unreasonable? You think this is _unreasonable_? I haven't even started being unreasonable, âne, so you had better be prepared."

" Lia, really, I can't talk to you when you're like this."

" Like _what_?"

" Dramatic and illogical. Honestly, you women are so irrational."

" What was that?" Alexis jumped in, her eyes daring Bastian to continue.

The British boy ploughed on, heedless of the gathering storm.

" I'm simply saying that women tend to be more irrational more often than men are. You get all hung up on some point that has nothing to do with what is going on, and you take offense to the tiniest, most insignificant word or detail. It might have something to do with your monthly cycles..."

That did it.

" _WHAT_?" Two rage-filled female voiced screamed.

Jaden turned away from the carnage that was the girls ripping Bastian to shreds, and looked at Aster, who was still watching with mild interest. Bonaparte and Crowler had retreated behind one of the pillar of the entrance, watching the goings-on with wide eyes.

" So, you wanna duel?"

Aster blinked at the casual offer, only to stop at the serious look in Jaden's eyes.

" Why?"

" You got something better to do?"

" You wanna lose again that badly?"

And to his surprise, Jaden patted his deck protector, smirk on his face.

" Trust me, I'm not gonna lose."

Aster let one eyebrow skirt his hairline.

" Okay, now I'm interested. Let's get this game started. Meet you in the duel arena in five minutes."

Jaden's whole face lit up.

" You mean that?"

Aster spun on his heel and started walking towards the entrance, his back to the older boy so Jaden couldn't see his excited grin.

" I wanna what you think is so special."

" See you in five." Jaden gave him a small wave, and then turned back to the pile of whimpering flesh that was Bastian. On either side of him, Alexis and Lia were dusting their hands off, looking self-important and satisfied. Alexis stopped Lia with a hand on her shoulder, pointed at Jaden, and then slipped something that looked like a bill of money into the younger girl's hands. Then they glared at Bastian again.

" You guys done?" Jaden said cautiously. The girls stopped what they were doing, looked at each other, and then Bastian. With a nod to each other, both gave him one more kick, then linked arms and started off towards the school. Syrus walked after them, looking down at Bastian and shaking his head, while Hassleberry left a good distance between him and either girl, sighing as he stepped over the Ra.

" You got a lot t'learn, son." He muttered. As he walked by, Jaden kneeled down in front of the other boy.

" You learned your lesson?"

Bastian looked up, still shaking.

" Girls are scary."

" Close enough." Jaden laughed, and hauled the boy to his feet. " But I'd still sit pretty far away from them. They're liable to decide they want to hurt you, mid-duel."

" Oh joy."

" And this, my friend, is why you've never had a girlfriend besides Tanya. You suck at talking to girls."

" And what makes you an expert?"

" Easy. I had a bunch of girls who were friends. Yakima-chan, and Netsuke-chan, and Hark-chan, and my cousin Fuyubi and all her friends."

" And yet you didn't know about sexual education until we told you."

" I told you, I slept through that class. On the bright side, some of Akimi-chan's doujinshi make a lot more sense now."

" Dou-what now?"

" Eh, nevermind. You wouldn't get it. Suffice to say, there were guys kissing. I just always thought one of them was a really macho girl, because they were both so pretty."

" Lovely. This girl keeps them out in the open where anyone in her room can see them?"

" She brought them to school in eighth grade."

" Is all of Japan like this?"

As the two bickered their way into the school, neither noticed Aster who remained standing very still by one of the stones, and Chazz, in blazing white, smiling his empty smile and explaining something with bright, feverish eyes.

* * *

Hi! So, here we have the triumphan return of Jaden. Everybody cheer!

Ah, the hugging! The glomping! the permamant damage probably caused by the aforementioned! Aren't reunions great? And it looks like Aster gets to have a duel after all. Lucky him.

How about some translations?

Senaka ni itami wo kanjiru - My back is hurting. That's right. They broke him. And I feel no pity whatsoever.

The return of Akimi the Otaku. Or rather, Akimi the Fujoshi. A fujoshi is a girl or woman who is gaga over yaoi, especially the manga/douijinshi. I've decided that Aka-chan's the token anime buff in the group. Fuyubi is the tomboy (she uses 'boku', a masculine form of 'I/me'), and Haruko is the 'yamato nadeshiko', or ideal Japanese woman. She's rather meek, but very loyal. Akimi is especially protective of her. Jaden was too. I haven't quite figured Natsuki out. So far, Fuyubi is my favourite, mainly because she's in competition with Jaden, and he doesn't really realize it.

Fuyubi: Juudai-nii-chan! You better do well at the dueling school of yours, because I won't cut you any slack, no matter where you go! I promise...I promise that I'll beat you! I'll be an Olympic runner before you claim the title of Game King! Do your best, Oniichan!

Jaden: Huh? What were you saying?

Fuyubi: (face fault) Shut down by Juu-nii's crushing naivity! No matter how many times...it's still so humiliating.

Akimi: Jeez, Juudai...you really know how to ruin the moment. And Fuyu-chan made such a passionate speech too. Yare yare. (expression of disappointment)

Haruko: My sympathies. (In Jap. O kinodoku ni. I think.)

Jaden: What? What'd I do?

This exchange inspired by the interactions of Maito Gai and Hatake Kakashi from _Naruto_. Which I don't own either.

Other than that, I can't really think of anything to say but...Ha! Bastian got beat up! Ha!

I'm evil, and I know it.

MoS


	17. Dissipating Storm

Warnings: I am about to go into a VERY long explanation at the end of this chapter. Enjoy that.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_.

Okay, seriously, what's with this editing tool? I turned off 'italic' on the title, and it italicized the whole document. And then, when I went to take the italic off, it deleted everything except for half of the first line. The hell, site?

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

" You know sometimes, I gotta ask myself how I manage to get into these situations."

" What?"

" I mean, just look at this."

" I _am_. I'm your opponent, in case you didn't notice."

" Alright, alright, okay, don't bite my head off. God, you're like Lia on a bad day."

" Trust me, I haven't even gotten started."

" You wouldn't _believe_ how many times I've heard that line. Or something like it."

" Are you for real?"

" And that one."

" Seriously, dude, just shut up."

" That one too, just without the 'dude'."

" You're not normal, you know that?"

" So I've been told. I never put much stock in being normal."

" You are...I don't even have the words to describe you."

" You know, one of my friends back home said the same thing to me once."

" Yeah, and what did you tell him?"

" I told _her_ 'thank you'. So I guess I should say the same to you. Thanks."

" Why are you bowing?"

" It's just...it's a tradition thing."

" You are so weird."

" And you are...oh god, what's the word? Um...ethnocentric! That's it! You're ethnocentric!"

" I'm surprised you even _know_ a word like ethnocentric."

" I'm not allowed to sleep in class anymore. You'd be surprised about how much you can actually learn if you stay awake."

" Isn't that the point of school?"

" Probably."

" You just...why am I even talking to you?"

" I have that effect on people. They just start talking to me, whether they want to or not, and before you know it, I know about all their problems and issues and secrets."

" Well, stop it. I don't like it."

" Sorry buddy, but it's not like I can just shut it off."

" Yeah, well figure out a way before I Iet my D-Heroes do it for you."

" Okay, okay, take it easy. You've got a bit of a temper, you know that?"

" Shut up! I am _not_ taking anger management advice from a loser like you!"

" Jeez bro, could you ease up on the insults. You're gonna hurt someone's feelings."

" That's the point!"

" Oh, and by the way."

" What could you possibly have to say now?"

" I just summoned Air Hummingbird to the field and used his special ability to get 500 points for every card in your hand."

Aster blinked, his face totally blank, and Jaden grinned back.

" What?" The pro-star said with an air of shock.

" I now have 1700 lifepoints." Jaden explained, the bright smile never leaving his lips. Before him, his alien bird man came to rest, the bright red of his feathers so glossy that he almost seemed to shine in the spooky light of the temple around them. Jaden favoured Hummingbird with a tip of his head in thanks, and then looked at Bubbleman. The stocky man in blue knelt down, supporting the majority of the weight of his blaster on his shoulder, ready to fire. Jaden tipped his head again. Glancing over at the other side of the field, the Slifer had to bite the inside of his cheek. Aster's normally calm and cool air had vanished, replaced by a supercharged fury that showed on his increasingly red face.

" It'll take more than a few lousy _stolen_ points to save you!"

" Ketoujin." Jaden muttered under his breath, before throwing his hand out to signal his attack. " Bubbleman, go for it!"

In a few minutes, all that remained of two of Aster's D-Heroes were matching clouds of smoke.

As Hummingbird came to stand at his side, Jaden heaved a sigh of relief. While he loved dueling with all his heart, he much preferred dueling when there was nothing on the line but his pride. When the world's fate was riding on the outcome of his game, he was never able to enjoy himself as much as he thought he should've.

' _Understandable._' The calm, deep voice of Neos echoed in his head. A few days ago, it would've sent him jumping around, looking for the source of the voice. He was slowly getting used to the fact that he now had a multitude of monsters who had more than enough power to communicate with him at any given moment. The first time it had happened, he'd nearly fallen over a protruding root and had spent hours looking around, trying to figure out who was talking to him. Finally, it had dawned on him that maybe the voice was coming from somewhere inside of him, and after that, he'd opened himself up to all kinds of strange, albeit entertaining, conversations with his new, extra-terrestrial monsters.

' You think so, Neos?' Jaden watched Aster replace the field with his Dark City card. All around him, skyscrapers and apartment complexes rose up from the ground, the lights shining through the windows and bathing the square where the two opponents stood in an orangey-yellow glow.

' _Part of growing up is realizing that not everything you do will be fun. Sometimes, you must go through something unpleasant in order to help others._'

' Oh, I know that already.' Jaden grinned at the see-through image of his monster. ' I mean, I do my homework and pay attention in class 'cuz it makes Lia and the others happy.'

' _How kind of you_.' Jaden pouted at the sarcasm that dripped from Neos' tone. ' _As much as I enjoy talking with you, your opponent seems to have made quite a clever move._'

Jaden quickly looked over at aster, just in time to see Diamond Dude vanish in a swirl of light, only to be replaced by the frightening looking man in a black suit, wide-brimmed hat, and a long, pale purple scarf wrapped around his neck so that it obscured the lower half of his face. The brunet twitched as the attack points rose from 1000 to 2000, and concluded that the field card had something to do with the change. He shuddered as the monster looked at him, forcing himself not to take a step back from the blank, pupilless eyes that looked into his.

" No offense or anything, bro, but that guy's kinda freaky."

Aster grinned, and while it didn't detract from his handsome face, it made him look all the more wicked.

" Thanks." He almost purred. " Now, if you'll excuse him, my Double Dude's got a bubble to burst."

Jaden flinched.

" That doesn't sound good."

" For you? No. For me?" Aster's grin got just a little bigger. " It's fan-freakin'-tastic."

The monster leaped in the air, launching himself at Bubbleman. Mid-air, he began to blur, his image shifting and changing until it was a red-eyed, muscular man with hair the same colour as the scarf and wearing torn rags that looked like they were from his former suit was hurtling towards Jaden's hero. There was split second of relief when Bubble Blaster exploded into smoke and sparkles instead, but Aster didn't stop grinning and Double Dude didn't retreat back to the pro-star's side of the field, and a sinking feeling started to form in Jaden's stomach.

" He gets another attack, doesn't he?"

" Smart guy." Aster praised insincerely. " Yup, Double Dude's not done yet. So it's two birds, one stone. Bye-bye birdie."

The monster leapt into the air again, shifting and blurring until he was in his original costume. Jaden saw a cane in his hand that he'd failed to take note of the first time, and grit his teeth as it was swung viciously into Hummingbird, who turned his head at the last second, and winked at Jaden. The boy nodded, staring at the dissipating smoke with a lump in his throat.

' _He's fine, you know._' Neos said softly. Jaden nodded.

' I know. I just...' He struggled to get his thoughts together. ' I just...I don't like watching it, you know?'

' _To watch a comrade fall is painful, whatever the circumstances._'

' Does it get any easier?'

' _Not if you love them_.'

Jaden let out a soft sigh, reaching up to push the hair out of his eyes.

' I was afraid you'd say that.'

* * *

" I'm lost." Lia declared as Jaden did something that made the cards come shooting back out the slot he'd just shoved them into. Beside her, Bastian started to massage his temples, muttering under his breath. Alexis reached up distractedly to pat the younger girl's shoulder, and Syrus was frantically hushing a perplexed Hassleberry, who was about three seconds away from asking Lia how she could be confused by such a simple dueling manoeuvre, and therefore four seconds away from a swift, painful death.

" How can you not understand? It's a simple move." Bastian said, still rubbing his temples. " Jaden played Graceful Charity, which allows him to draw three cards with the stipulation that he discards two. Then he played his facedown, which was Disgraceful Charity, which allows the cards that have been discarded for that turn only to come back to the player's hands." He turned to look at her. " Do you understand? Am I making it all clear, or do you want diagrams to go along with it?"

" Bastian!" Syrus snapped, glaring at the Ra student. " What's wrong with you?"

" I'm sorry, but she does this every time! It's half past one in the morning, I've been up all night trying to find a way to save the Red Dorm, and I have a rather pressing test in Spells and Traps coming up on Monday." The British boy glared down at his smaller friend. " Forgive me if my temper and patience have been worn a little thin."

" Don't take it out on Lia." Alexis said absently, not taking her eyes off the duel, where Jaden had summoned something he called a Flare Scarab to the field in a blaze of fire.

" No, no it's fine." Lia said stiffly. " I mean, it's not like anybody said anything."

Bastian gave her a look.

" Nobody was talking at all." The French girl started glaring a hole in the back of the seat in front of her. " And if there _had_ been someone talking, I'm sure they would've sounded like someone I'm not talking to at the moment." Her glare intensified. " Secousse."

" You tell him." Alexis waved her hand around aimlessly, trying to come into contact with a part of Lia, still staring at the duel. After about 30 seconds of helpless flailing, Syrus took pity on the older girl and grabbed her wrist. He brought the hand to rest of Lia's knee, where it patted her affectionately about four or five times, before slithering away and coming to rest of Alexis' lap. Lia just raised an eyebrow.

" O-kay." Syrus let the air out of his lungs in a noisy gust. " Jaden just used one of the cards that was discarded-"

" That he got back because of Ungraceful Charity."

" _Dis_graceful Charity."

" Whatever. He played a card. He got more back. Continue."

" Okay, good, you're starting to catch on." Syrus gave her an encouraging grin, which Lia affected not to notice, but a pale dusting of pink appeared on her cheeks at his praise. " So, anyway, Jaden used one of the cards he got back, called Common Soul, to summon the other card he got back, Flare Scarab."

" Another alien?" Lia smiled, and it ruined the sceptical tone she used. Of course, even the tone was very tame to her 'Oh my freaking GOD what in the name of all that is holy and good on this green Earth is THAT?' rant when Jaden had played his first Neo Spacian. Given the fact that she had looked upon Jaden as he explained where he'd gotten the cards from like he offended her morals to the core, it was quite a statement that she was able to accept the alien being played. Syrus grinned right back.

" Another alien."

Lia glanced out to the field, where the two opponents had stopped, Jaden gesturing to his monsters, then Aster's, and frowning, and Aster himself looking down at his deck with a pained look on his face.

" What's happening now?"

" There's a lull." Bastian said, his arms crossed over his chest. " Jaden has been trying to tell Aster that-"

" I'm sorry, was someone talking just now?" Lia cut across, snarling through gritted teeth. Bastian immediately shuffled away from the dark glare that the younger girl was sending him. Below her, Both Syrus and Hassleberry hid their snickers behind their hands, trying very hard not to let Lia see how her childish behaviour was amusing them.

" Jaden and Aster are talking. Jaden says dueling is mainly about fun and making friends. Aster's looking really put out for some reason." Alexis summarized. Lia nodded, and leaned forward so that her head was level with the blonde's, the last threads of the conversation drifting up to her.

" –times you gotta put aside the fun part and get down to business. Sometimes there's something on the line that you can't afford to lose. And when those times roll around, it's okay to stop trying to make a situation fun and get serious about it. But bro, you do that all the time. You're serious about everything all the time, and it's sucking the fun outta dueling for you."

" You don't know me!" Aster shouted at him, but his voice cracked over the last word and his eyes were starting to look very bright. " You don't know my dueling!"

" Dude, I can see it, plain as day." Jaden gestured to Aster's side of the field. " I see the way you look at your cards like they might jump up and bite you. I see the way you shake a little right before you play them." An edge of steel entered the Slifer's voice. " I see the way you flinch every time they appear on the field. You're not having fun anymore. You're taking everything way too seriously and it's destroying you."

" You don't get it! I _have_ to be serious! I have people who depend on me every day! I...I have to do this because it's my destiny!"

" That's an excuse." The burning at her chest had started again. Distantly, Lia thought that maybe she should tell Alexis or Syrus that she was hurting again, but she was mesmerized by the feverish light in Aster's eyes and the hard steel in Jaden's.

" No it isn't! It isn't!" The last call sounded a little too much like a plea for Lia to disregard. Aster was half hunched over his duel disk, arms wrapping around himself as though he was trying to protect his heart. His bangs fell over his forehead and blocked his face.

" Aster, do you really think your father made those cards so that you could use them for revenge?"

Jaden said it in a calm, perfectly level voice. But Aster's head shot up as though he had heard the ring of cannon fire right beside his ear. His face was unusually flushed, but in the places it wasn't, Lia could make out pale patches of skin that shone with sweat. The fingers of his hands curled into the material of his jacket and shirt at his chest, straining the clothing. His mouth was moving soundlessly, forming the words he couldn't give a voice to. Lia looked into his eyes again, and saw that they were filmed over with tears that Aster was striving heroically to hold back.

Lia had once felt a stab of sympathy for her nemesis, Zane Trusedale. It had been during the period Syrus had been taken by the Sacred Beasts, and Zane had become little more than a husk of a person, eating only what was the minimum amount required to keep him alive, sleeping only a few hours each night, and spending most of his time weeping into his hands, grieving for Syrus. He'd been so empty, so lost, so hopelessly pathetic that Lia's heart, not made of stone as many of her classmates assumed, had gone out to him in a rare moment of vulnerability. She'd felt for him, as someone who loved Syrus, as someone who wanted him back, and as someone who was willing to risk everything to see that goal accomplished.

A second later, she'd revoked that feeling with all the strength she possessed, because one act of redemption didn't excuse him from a lifetime of wickedness.

But, just as she'd once empathized with Zane, Lia felt the contempt and anger at Aster Phoenix slowly drain from her body as she saw the desperate way he tried to find an answer to Jaden's question. For a split second, her vision swam and she was standing in her grandparents' kitchen, staring up blankly at her wispy-haired, gentle grandfather as he held her hands in his soft, paper-like ones, and told her in his wind-through-the-leaves voice that her father was dead. The numbness rushed in first, shocking her senses dumb and blanking out her mind, until the word _dead_ didn't even register. Her grandfather's voice got farther and farther away, echoing as though she was hearing him through a long tunnel. Her heart beat louder and louder until it was the only thing she could hear. Her grandfather's mouth continued to form words, lips pulling back and rounding out and folding over his tongue as he tried to tell her something. Lia remembered shaking her head, trying to express that she couldn't hear him over her heart, but her throat had been all closed up and she couldn't get her jaw open. She'd shaken her head more and more, trying to tell her grandfather that she couldn't hear him, and that he should just stop telling her, because there was no point, she couldn't hear, and if she couldn't hear, she didn't know, and if she didn't know, it wasn't true, it couldn't be true, and if it wasn't true, then her father was not...was not...couldn't be...

" My father is dead." Aster whispered in a defeated voice. " I can't know what he wants anymore."

Lia jolted from her leaning position, swallowing the sob that threatened to break free just as strongly as Aster's tears. She leaned back in her seat quickly, praying no one had noticed her abrupt movements. Alexis was too into the duel, and Syrus and Hassleberry were too busy cheering Jaden, and Bastian was making a point of not provoking her. She slumped in her seat, taking deep breaths. Squeezing her eyes shut, she willed the moisture that had gathered in them without her knowledge to disappear. The stinging sensation caused by the tears intensified, and Lia bit her lower lip, praying that she wasn't about to start bawling in the middle of the duel arena. The burning at her chest got worse, flaring up until she was fighting the scream that was clawing at the back of her throat. Against her closed lids, there was a flash of light that sent little fissions of colour shooting around before her eyes, followed by a groan from Jaden and an angry shout from Aster that she couldn't make out. The lower murmur of Jaden's voice reached her, and the pain got worse, slamming down her body with the strength of electrical currents. Breathing hard, she tuned her ears to the sounds below, explosions and shouts and the distant whisper of energy convening around Jaden like a cape or a shroud. The pain crescendoed violently, and Lia felt her whole body lift off the seat as it did, a furious curse followed by a desperate, strained version of the Lord's Prayer breaking past her lips. Around her, she heard the shouts from far off, like her grandfather's voice. Warm arms wrapped around her shoulders and she instinctively knew it was Alexis, hauling her back from the edge. An explosion rippled over her closed lids and she let them fly open, just in time to see Jaden lower the hand he'd extended, and Aster look on in something that might've been acceptance.

She slumped forward into Alexis' embrace.

" Maybe," she whispered when she found the strength to speak, " I should stop coming to these things."

Alexis laughed shakily, and pulled her closer, and Lia was content to close her eyes and rest.

* * *

" Hey."

Aster looked up, startled. The brunette, Lia, was standing before him, her arms crossed. Her face was a little pale and sweaty, and there was an air of exhaustion and fragility around her that made Aster want to reach a hand out and steady her. He almost did it, but reminded himself at the last minute that she was more liable to break his wrist than accept his help. He settled for pushing his hands into his pockets and leaning against the wall, affecting to look cool. He caught the little eyeroll she did, and mentally patted himself on the back for succeeding.

" Whaddya need?" He asked. She scowled a little, and looked away. Aster raised a brow, unused to the shifty behaviour. " You okay?"

" I..." She shook her head, and Aster made to push off the wall. " ...I...Fine. I'm fine."

" You don't look fine." And she didn't. She looked too fragile, too breakable, for someone who had, not two hours ago, glared him into submission. She gave him a glare at his comment, but it was weak, and Aster shrugged it off.

" We can't all get airbrushed every time we go out of the house."

" What, this face?" He gestured. " Oh no, babe, this is one-hundred percent natural."

She snorted.

" Whatever helps you sleep at night, prick."

" I just meant you looked tired." He ventured, testing the waters. She just looked at him.

" It's just after two in the morning."

" I know, that's not what I..." He trailed off, pulling one hand out to rub the back of his neck awkwardly. Finally he looked up. Lia was looking at him almost expectantly, her hazel eyes shining bright, and her face thrown half into shadow in the darkened hallway. " Was there something you needed?"

She started a little.

" I...yeah, I guess. It's just..." She took a deep breath. " From one mourner to another. Stop living your life like it revolves around them, because whether you like it or not, life goes on."

" Excuse me?" A note of anger entered his tone. " Who are you to tell me this?"

" I don't have to explain myself to you." She muttered, and made to leave. But Aster darted forward, and caught her arm, hauling her around to face him.

" Who do you think you are? You can't just tell me what to do?" The indignant fury made his eyes narrow and his tongue loose. "My father was _murdered_. I have to find his killers so that I can-"

" So that you can w_hat_?" She spat, yanking her arm out of his grip. " Kill them like they killed him?"

" So that I can bring them to justice." He finished, scowling. Lia snorted cruelly.

" This isn't about justice. It's about revenge. That's all you're in this for." She stomped forward until she was glaring into his eyes. " You're doing this so that _you_ can get revenge on the people who took your father away."

" Is that so wrong?" He asked through clenched teeth.

" It won't bring him back." She snapped. " You can hunt them down and grab a gun and blow their fucking brains out but it won't bring your father back and it won't make it any easier to accept that he's dead."

" What do you know?" He shoved her away from him. She stumbled for a moment, but regained her footing and glared. " This is all I have. This and the Destiny Heroes to do it with. This is the only thing I can do to honour his memory."

" This isn't honouring his memory, it's tarnishing it!" Lia snarled. " You think your father wanted you to be running around, using the cards he made for you as tools for your stupid revenge?"

" And what else can I do, huh? Tell me what else I can do!"

Lia drew herself up, her face morphing from outrage to queenly dignity.

" You can live. That's what any decent father wants for his child. To live and live happily."

Aster glared at her.

" Sorry, my happiness was taken from me when I was nine years old and dumped in a river outside of town. Those Heroes are my only link to my father, and the only way I'll ever be able to move on is if I find the bastards who killed him and destroy them. No matter what Jaden says." He bit the last phrase out bitterly.

There was a moment of silence, and then Aster was once again reeling, his cheek stinging fiercely and Lia pulling her hand back. Aster righted himself, turning to ask what the girl's problem was, when he was stopped by the tears slowly leaking over her lashes.

" So by that logic, I should get on the next plane to Africa, find the lion who mauled my father, and kill him, is that what you're saying?" She yelled him, her voice breaking and the tears streaming down her face.

" That doesn't give my dad back to me, now does it?" She continued, taking a step forward. " And it leaves a beautiful creature who only did it to protect his cubs dead! Revenge is pointless and you're just using destiny as an excuse. You're nothing but a coward and I can't stand people like you!"

She gave him a watery glare and whipped around to leave, her braid swinging over her shoulder and nearly catching him in the nose. She started storming towards the entrance to the duel arena, wiping her eyes furiously, and was almost through when her words registered with the pro-star.

" You too?" He whispered, and Lia stopped dead.

" Go home." She said softly, but in the deafening silence, it echoed. " Don't come back until you've gotten brave enough to stop hiding behind destiny and ruining the memory of your father."

And with that she walked into the arena, leaving Aster alone with his thoughts.

* * *

I realized that I forgot three girls last time. The first is Akabana Netsuke, one is Kiyoyama Kikyo, commonly known as 'Hark', and the third is Shumpuu Yakima. Akabana is 'willow herb' which is ironic, because Netsuke means 'feverish'. It's even more ironic because she's Fuyubi's senpai (upperclassmen) on the track team. Kiyo means praise, and yama is mountain. Kikyo is bellflower. She usually combines her first and last names into Kikio, which, when a 'ku' is added to the end, means 'to listen'. Hence, 'Hark'. She got the nickname because she's the class president, and always breaks away from her formal language to yell, " Shut up! I'm TALKING!" whenever the class gets too rowdy. Her nickname is in English because Akimi thought it was 'way cuter that way! And you need to be cuter too, Hark-chan! Work that kuudere character!' ...If you're familiar with the anime Lucky Star, Akimi is the Konata of the group.

Finally, there's Shumpuu Yakima, who is by FAR the most normal one. She comes from a middle-class family with no siblings, a dog named Kaifuu ('ocean breeze' better known as Fuu-chi), and a boyfriend since second year of middle school whom she will be trying to get into the same high school as. Yaki means 'cool evening' or 'night air', and –ma means 'pure'. Shumpuu is 'spring breeze'.

Yes, as far as I'm concerned, Jaden had a LOT of female friends. There are some guy ones too, but I'll get to them later. Jaden just strikes me as the sort of guy who'd get along well with girls, probably because he's too naive to hit on them, and they find that cute.

And FYI, Jaden can never introduce Syrus to Akimi, because she will go Shotacon on him in an instant.

And someone asked me to explain how Contact Fusion worked. Since this chapter was more about the characters than it was about the logistics, I could find a good place to slip it in. So here's how it works in the 'Year' Universe. Year-verse. Should I call it Year-verse? I'll come back to that.

Neo Spacians are more than just monsters. They are physical representations of the balance of all existence, i.e. the thing Jaden was BORN to protect. It is entirely possible that when he drew the monsters out and created his own cards for that contest, his thoughts and actions were guided by some higher power (I'll call them 'The First Ones' for now), and what resulted were the Neo Spacians.

Now, because they are aspects of The Balance (which, essentially, is what Haou is. Or rather, he's an extension of it, and is therefore allotted all the powers that come with that position. The Gentle Darkness is one of the First Ones in this universe, and It is the most concerned with maintaining the Balance. Hence, Haou. He can become as strong as a god if the Balance is threatened to that degree. Mostly because whatever threatens it MUST be at least that strong to pose a threat in the first place.), and also, in part, aspects of Jaden's mind, the Neo Spacians are made up of that Balance. (Neutral Space). Instead of being the dwellers of the 'Shadow Realm', they are not really Duel Monsters. As far as I'm concerned, they're pure energy wearing 'monster skins', kinda like how Haou wears the 'human skin' of Jaden when he comes out to fight.

Okay, now that I've explained how I view Neo Spacians, I can explain Contact Fusion.

See, because I see them as pure 'essences' of the Balance that are wearing skins, they can meld their bodies into whatever shape best serves them in the battle. Each Spacian has a specific energy (Neos is a difference essence than Scarab, Scarab is a different essence than Aquos. Neos, in my mind, encompasses all of Neo Space, while the others are things like 'Essence of Neo Spacian Fire', or 'Essence of Neo Spacian Water', etc. That's why they all merge so well with Neos), and can blend those energies easily by disregarding the 'skin' they are currently wearing, merging the essences (yes, I use energy and essence interchangeably, because they are a part of Neo Space (essence), but also an aspect of power (energy). I'm aware that that's probably a very bad word use, but that's what I've been using in my head, and guess what? My own self-contained universe? My rules.) and putting on a new skin for the creation. And they can just as easily separate back. As Haou, I think Jaden sees them in their essence form. I also think he sees Duel Monsters as the collection of pieces of the Shadow Powers that they are in my universe. Basically, Contact Fusion is less about two monsters fusing as it is about two essences joining. The contact is not between two beings of flesh and blood, but acts on a level that transcends skin on skin.

And yes, Neo Spacian sex is THAT much more awesome. Burstinatrix would very much like to get laid by a Neo Spacian, but it hasn't happened yet. And for that matter, I think Jaden's original deck, his E-Heroes, are a bit different than normal monsters too. I mean, they've been in contact for HOW long with the boy who has the Herald of the Gentle Darkness, King of Dark World and Holy Protector of the Balance, asleep inside of him? They've been altered, believe me. Therefore, they aren't just made of Shadow magic. They are made of Darkness. And yes, I'm making a distinction between Shadow and Darkness. Well, Shadow and Gentle Darkness, right now. Put it this way. Darkness came first. Shadow is something of a...descendant. This is why contact fusion doesn't work with regular monsters. The magic that makes them actually TAKES the form they have. Haou will look at them, and see the spells in place that makes the DMG the DMG, but she is, in fact, a bubbly blonde girl in a weird pink and blue outfit. That's why is requires another spell to allow them to merge. Neo Spacians just shed their skin, blend the essences, and don a new skin. Polymerization actually takes the spells of the Duel Monsters and changes them around to form the new spell, but it's the enabling spell in that equation, so...

And this has gone on WAY too long. So, I'll leave you with the reveal of Lia's dad's death, and-

Shit, translations.

Ketoujin – Barbarian, a rude word for foreigners (usu. European, but in this case, we'll make an exception.)

And yay! For Jaden and Neos' talk. There will be more of these. With more monsters. Burstinatrix is awesome.

Daddy Issues. Lia and Aster have them. Oh BOY, do they have them. And they will be addressed. Slowly, surely, with lots of dramatic tension, they will be addressed. But Aster's got an in now...though, lot of good it does him with Lia thinking he's a coward and all. And no, Lia's situation doesn't exactly fit Aster's. Another human murdered his father; hers was killed by an animal acting on instinct. Still, Lia's trying to point out that still obsessing over it x-amount of years later won't change the fact that he's dead, and no amount of killing or revenge will bring him back. Which is ironic, given that Lia is clearly not over her father's death either. In fact, she's even less over it that Aster, she just hides it better. That too, will be addressed.

Well, I'll see you all next week for...A very glossed over Crowler vs. Bonaparte duel and the return of Creepy!Chazz.

...

Yay!

MoS


	18. Shifting Attention

Warnings: Creepy!Chazz is back. Now with 15% more creep!

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

There were bulldozers, sticks of dynamite, and an entire wrecking crew just waiting to pounce when Abeni Hasib came wandering up to the Red Dorm. Beside her, Brier Tampkin was wincing as he flexed his newly freed fingers, a sling still hung around his neck, but the cast he'd been sporting for most of the first two and a half months gone. In front of the two Ra's, Lia Shanner was storming forward, glaring at the crew with so much force that Abeni was surprised they hadn't burst into flames.

" Is Lia okay?" She whispered to Brier, who shrugged.

" Eh, she's always like that. Just do what I do."

" What's that?"

" Ignore her and hope she goes away."

" That's not very nice."

" Ben, I don't know if you've noticed, but _she's_ not very nice."

" Oh, I'm sure she's really great once you get to know her."

" Your faith in people is astonishing." Brier shook his head. " And a little crazy. You can hope to high heaven, but Lia Shanner isn't suddenly gonna start skipping through fields of flowers and singing."

Abeni heaved a sigh.

" I just wish she'd smile more. She looks so severe and mean when she scowls."

" She practices that look in the mirror."

" Brier!"

" What? You know it's true."

" You know I can hear you both, right?"

Both Ra's jumped at the sound of her voice, and hastily scrambled back as Lia rounded on them. There was a slight twitch in her left eye, and Brier gulped audibly, trying to bite back on the desire to run as far and fast as he could in the opposite direction.

" Are you two done now?" Lia asked, and when her voice dropped dangerously at the end of the sentence, Abeni and Brier quickly nodded. " Good. Hurry up, I wanna find out what the hell is going on." And she marched forward, returning the wave Alexis was giving her. Abeni popped out from behind Brier, eyes wide.

" Scary." She whispered. Brier shook his head once to clear it, and then kept walking forward.

" Oh, c'mon, she's not _that_ scary." He winced as the sounds of Lia screaming in French at Vice Chancellor Bonaparte reached his ears. " Okay, maybe she's a little scary."

" Et une autre fois-"

" Mme Shanner, I am in the middle of a very important duel, so if you could _kindly_ keep your absurd comments to yourself, I would really appreciate it."

" _Absurd_?" Lia's lips pulled back in a snarl. Beside her, Alexis put a hand on the younger girl's shoulder to keep her from leaping at the small, round man. " You _can't_ do this! There are _rules_ about this sort of thing!"

" But this, mon cherié, is Duel Academy, and our rules are a little different." He turned back to face Crowler. " Now run along and stop trying to stick your nose in where it doesn't belong."

" I'll stick my foot up somewhere it doesn't belong." Lia muttered mutinously as Alexis pulled her back. She sat down cross leggedly in a huff, and Alexis crouched next to her, trying to distract her by giving a play-by-play of the duel. Brier walked up, carefully avoiding the still fuming girl. Abeni blinked at the sight before her, then skipped over to where Syrus stood.

" Hi Syrus!"

The smaller boy glanced up, his face breaking into a smile.

" Hey Abeni! Long time no see. How've you been?"

The dark-skinned girl giggled.

" You can call me Ben. Everybody does." She pushed a stray lock of black hair behind her ear. " I've been great, what about you?"

" Fine." There was a flash of light, and then a rusting mass of metal was rising up in front of Crowler. " Oh boy, here comes Ancient Gear Golem."

" Here comes whatnow?" Lia asked, looking at the monster. " What the hell is that thing?"

" Ancient Gear Golem. Chancellor Crowler's best card." Abeni filled in, still smiling. " But why are he and the Vice Chancellor dueling?"

" Bonaparte wants to tear down our dorm and Crowler..." Syrus trailed off, searching for the best way to describe what Crowler was doing on the opposite side of Bonaparte. " Well, he's...uh..."

" You see, Abeni," Bastian cut in, " what Crowler is doing is...what he's doing is..."

" Crowler's..." Alexis paused, gathering her thoughts, " ...he's, um...well, he's not exactly _helping_ us, but he's..."

" Crowler's protecting us."

The group turned in surprise. Jaden was sitting comfortably in a cross legged position, his hands folded on his lap. He was watching the duel with a look that was half devoted interest and half unnerving calm. The breeze coming off the ocean below them tussled his bangs so that they fell away from his eye, which were lit up with child-like delight. He stared at the duel with a smile on his face, and it only got bigger when he glanced over at his friends and took in their confused faces.

" Crowler's dueling for us." He explained softly. " He'll never admit it, and I don't think he realizes it himself, but he's dueling for us because he _likes_ us."

"Jaden, Crowler likes us about as much as any given person likes an ear infection." Lia deadpanned. Jaden just grinned at her, reached over, and patted her on the head like she was a little kid. Lia ducked out from under his hand, trying to scowl, but failing spectacularly, and pouting instead. Jaden laughed.

" I said he'd never admit it. Trust me, Koneko-chan, he likes us."

Lia let out a scoff and inched away from him, warily watching his hand like she expected him to try and pet her again. Alexis smiled at the antics and looped an arm over Lia's shoulders, leaning down to whisper something in her ear that had the younger girl blushing bright red and hitting the blonde on the shoulder. Abeni watched them, her green eyes crinkling up in a smile.

" I like your friends." She whispered to Syrus. The boy looked away from the duel, and over his shoulder at his friends. Lia was still fruitlessly smacking Alexis in the shoulder, her face almost entirely red and the angry twist of her lips completely ruined by the laughter in her eyes. Alexis herself was half bent over laughing, arms around her stomach, her whole face alight with the pretty smile she was favouring a very red Lia with. Bastian stood behind them, leaning down so that his hands rested on his knees, a look of suffering on his face. He was trying to get Lia's attention, and make her stop, but every time he got close, Alexis shot Lia a knowing look, and Lia bristled and started hitting harder in retaliation, completely ignoring the British boy behind her. Hassleberry had a hand on Bastian shoulder, trying to pull him away from the girls. He was making looping gestures with his free hand, pointing at the girls, then Bastian, and then making stopping motions. Bastian waved him off absentmindedly, still trying to force his way between the girls. Brier was making a point of ignoring them all, shaking his head and trying to strike up a conversation with Jaden, who was very much into the duel and only answered in one or two syllable words. Alexis had grabbed both of Lia's hands and was saying something with a teasing grin, looking up at Bastian, who was talking to Hassleberry in a smug tone, pointing to the girls below, and completely missing the look. At Lia's embarrassed, " _Lexi_!", Jaden turned his attention from the duel, blinking as he took in the sight before him. With a grin to more than match Alexis', he opened his mouth, but Lia's glare immediately cut him off, and he pouted when she drew a line across her throat with her index finger. He reached over and playfully poked her on the forehead with two fingers. Lia blinked, Alexis giggled, Bastian dropped him face into his hand, Brier to roll his eyes while clucking his tongue disapprovingly, and Hassleberry shook his head, a look of fondness on his face.

Syrus smiled, completely ignoring the dueling teachers in front of them.

" I like them too."

Abeni's smile made her face open up like a flower unfurling for the sun.

" I think I'm gonna like it here, a lot."

Syrus glanced up at her, and looked away quickly, a flush creeping up the back of his neck and making his ears tingle. The image of Abeni's bright face and glowing green eyes was burned into the backs of his lids and made his breath catch. Shaking his head to clear it of the fuzziness that seemed to have settled in, Syrus peeked at the girl through his long bangs. Abeni was watching the duel with mild interest, but she would glance over at Syrus' friends every so often, a wistful look on her face and a sigh escaping her.

Syrus supposed she was missing her friends.

" Hey." He ventured, still watching the duel but not really seeing it. " After this is over...you wanna get lunch with us?"

Abeni was silent for a moment, during which Crowler shouted that he _alone_ was allowed to call the Slacker Club slackers, and the group was stunned to figure out that Jaden had been right, Crowler _did _like them (as much as Crowler was capable of feeling affectionate towards something), and then Abeni leaned forward so that she was directly in Syrus' line of sight, her smile making her seem to glow.

" I'd love to."

And Syrus smiled back, trying very hard not to let the fact that his heart was thundering show on his face.

* * *

Ojama Yellow was worried.

Of course, all of the Ojama Brothers lived their lives in a state of at least minor panic. They were cowards by nature, weak and defenceless, and more than ready to run when the going got too tough. While familial affection lent them some courage, and they were known to step up to the plate when they _knew_ they had a decent shot, they more often than not preferred to turn tail and hide under the nearest rock until the danger had passed.

And this particular danger was something that would've made even Jaden's strong heroes shake in their stylish, costumed boots.

There was something horribly wrong with Chazz.

The Ojama Brothers were cowardly and weak, that was a fact. But they were also loyal and loving and gluttons for punishment. Chazz was not the kindest human partner to have. He was loud, and arrogant, and rude and a tad abusive, and he could go on for hours about how much he hated them. If the Ojamas had any pride left after spending their whole lives being mocked by other monsters, Chazz would've ripped it down and smashed it to pieces. Fortunately, by the time the Ojamas had met Chazz, they believed themselves to be the lowest of the low, and nothing and no one could ever insult them again.

So that was how they were able see past Chazz's barbs and his temper and his declarations that he was embarrassed to call them his monsters and see the hurt, sad little boy that rested at the center of it all. And the Ojamas, who were brothers through thick and thin and stuck together no matter what, learned very early on that they hated Slade and Jagger Princeton, and wanted nothing more than to use their Ojama Delta Hurricane to send the two men into the stratosphere. The older Princetons were nothing short of monsters (in the human sense of the word), and the Ojama Brothers did not tolerate other hurting the people they loved.

And Chazz just happened to rank pretty high on that admittedly short list.

Chazz was strong where the Ojamas were weak. He was brave where the Ojamas threatened to buckle under their fear. He was determined where the Ojamas caved. He was everything they'd ever dreamed of in a partner under his rough outer shell. He was everything they'd ever wanted to be and every ideal they'd ever looked up to. He wasn't gentle and he wasn't soft, but he was bluntly honest and never gave respect to people who didn't deserve it. He didn't mince words or waste them on people who would never understand. He didn't take crap from anyone. He pushed away everyone who wasn't worth it and only associated with a small group that was.

Because Chazz was, above and beyond all else, a good friend when push came to shove.

And that was why the Ojama Brother, Ojama Yellow especially, were so worried.

Chazz wasn't acting like Chazz at all. He was talking to people who he normally wouldn't give the time of day to. He was polite when he should've been looking down his nose. He was always smiling, always grinning that hideous, unnatural grin that made his face look so pale and his eyes so horrifyingly bright. He was talking to himself, murmuring about light and seeing again and paths that were all laid out at the feet of the general public, though they couldn't see them.

It was all so wrong, wrong, wrong, and it was scaring Ojama Yellow worse than anything ever had.

" Boss." The little duel spirit whispered softly. Chazz was straddling one of the rafters, paintbrush in hand and can of white paint resting on the board in between his knees. There were splatters of paint dripping down onto the rafter, and even running down the side to stain the carpet almost two stories below. Aside from that, Chazz was carefully painting around the hole what was Pharaoh's way to get between the different rooms of the Red Dorm. The black-haired boy blinked, paused in his painting, and turned to the anxious spirit, soft smile in place.

" What is it, Ojama Yellow?" Even his tone was gentle, and the little monster spirit quivered.

" Are...I mean, are ya sure you're okay?"

Chazz grinned.

" Just fine, thank you." Ojama Yellow nearly wailed at the loss of Chazz's harsh tone. " I've seen the Light. I've never been so okay before in my life."

" It's just..." The spirit started to fidgit. " ...You've been acting kinda weird lately."

Chazz turned back to his painting.

" I've just found a new outlook." He pulled the brush over the archway. " The Light has shown me the path I couldn't see before, and now I am whole again."

" But Boss, weren't you whole before?"

" No, not really. Not where it counted." Chazz didn't look up, but Ojama could almost feel the feverish look that had entered his eyes. A strange, faint glow began to shimmer around Chazz, bright white, brighter than even the paint he was using. It gathered around him, shifting over him the way Ojama Yellow remembered the shadows shifting over Jaden in that horrible duel at the end of the last year. The memory of Chazz's arm curling around him and his brothers, trying to shield them from the Beasts anyway he could, only served to set the monster's resolve.

" Yeah, but you were getting there, weren't ya?"

Chazz slowly put the paintbrush down on the rafter.

" No. I wasn't."

The aura flared dangerously, but Ojama Yellow refused to back down.

" You weren't? But you seemed so...well, you were never exactly skipping places, Boss, but you were happy. I could tell. We all could. You...you were happy."

" I didn't know any better. I was lost in the darkness, just like everybody is right now. I was so blind that I couldn't see the path that was lying at my feet. There's a darkness that has swallowed up the whole world, and everyone is lost in it. But I'm not. Not anymore. I've seen the Light, and it's made me realize that I could never have been happy in the state I was before. I needed the Light to show me the true path."

" And," Ojama Yellow said carefully, watching the white aura around Chazz swirl, " what path is that?"

" My path. My own true path. The one I lost in the darkness so long ago." Chazz whipped around to face the spirit, and the Ojama flinched at the burning look in his eyes and the unhealthy flush of his cheeks.

" I'm going to save them, Ojama Yellow." His voice was strained and rough, as though he hadn't been using it for a very long time.

" Save who, Boss?" The monster was shaking now, its tiny arms curled towards its body and its buggy eyes trained on Chazz with a growing sense of horror. The white aura had all but surrounded him, making him glow against the darkened backdrop of the room. His face was white as a sheet, his cheek flushed, and his eyes like two stars. Ojama Yellow fought the urge to cry out in misery at what Chazz had become.

" All of them. My friends. They're all so lost in the darkness, and I'm the only one who can help them. I'm going to show them the Light so that they don't have to be blink anymore." Chazz's smile turned the slightest bit wistful. " They'll be so proud of me."

Finally, at the look of hope and longing on his face, Ojama Yellow found he had had enough.

" Chazz, snap out of it!" The little monster shouted. " You're not acting like yourself and you're scaring everybody. You haven't yelled at anyone in weeks and you keep smiling and everything about you is so wrong it makes me sick! Go back to the old Chazz! Right now!"

There was silence for a moment, during which Ojama Yellow squeezed his eyes shut and prepared for Chazz's wrath to break over him.

A soft puff of air brushed over him, and when he opened his eyes, Chazz was leaning forward slightly, his fingers reaching out to touch Ojama Yellow.

" It'll be okay. Everything will be okay." Chazz's fingers just barely brushed the spirit's head. " I promise."

And agony erupted over Ojama Yellow's body.

It was as if there was a fire under his skin, boiling in his body and trying to rip through his muscles and bones and skin to the outside. It surged through him like a current, electrical charges snapping through him so fast that his body arched to accommodate them and his eyes started to roll back. His mouth was open in a soundless scream and there was a low, eerie buzzing like white noise sounding in his ears. His lungs felt like they were being crushed under the weight of the pain, and he threw his head from side to side, trying to jostle free enough sense to move.

" Ch-Chazz..." Ojama Yellow managed through gritted teeth and heaving gasps of air. " ...H-Help..."

Chazz just kept touching the spirit's head, a frighteningly blank look on his face, and his eyes blazing.

Ojama Yellow bit his tongue to keep from crying out, the agony zinging down his body so hard he was sure he felt scars appear in its wake. Just as the pressure on his lungs got unbearable, and he felt the pain pushing out so furiously he suspected he was going to burst open, it stopped.

A cool hand wrapped around him, and he was being hauled back. Distantly, he heard an angry shout that sounded like Chazz usually did, and then soft fingers were pressing into him, soothing his aching limbs and forcing him to breath regularly. As his mind slowly regained itself, Ojama Yellow gingerly opened one of his eyes.

Cyber Tutu was glaring furiously at Chazz, who met her gaze blankly, the aura still shifting around him.

" This isn't your place to interfere, Cyber Tutu." Chazz said softly, but there was an edge of danger in the undercurrent of his tone that made Ojama Yellow want to curl up and cry. Tutu's grip on his tightened, and she pressed him closer to her shoulder.

' _You hurt him._' Her voice, while airy and gentle, was steel.

" He's my monster spirit. I want him to be with me." Ojama Yellow's heart both leapt and dropped at that, because the real Chazz would never have admitted it, and as much as Ojama Yellow wanted to believe it was true, he also knew that the real Chazz would never have put him through so much pain.

" There are many things he has to endure if he wants to stay with me." Chazz reached a hand forward, and Ojama Yellow scrambled higher up Cyber Tutu's shoulder. " Give him back to me."

' _You will not touch him again._' The ballerina said bravely, curling a hand around the smaller spirit to protect him.

" Give him back to me." Chazz insisted, holding his hand out. Tutu scowled at him.

' _You will __**never**__ touch him again._' She reiterated. Chazz's face went blank for a second, before it became dark with rage and he lunged forward, swiping at a shaking Ojama Yellow. Just as his fingers touched the little spirit's arm, and a jolt of pain went through him, Cyber Tutu brought her leg up and slammed it into Chazz, sending him tumbling off the rafter and onto his bed, the pillow cushioning his fall.

" Chazz!" Ojama Yellow flew towards his partner, but Cyber Tutu caught him in her hand, pulling him back.

' _No._' She said softly. The Ojama struggled in her grip.

" But he's hurt!"

' _He is burning._'

That stopped the Ojama dead.

" Burning?"

The ballerina nodded, a frown on her pretty face as she watched Chazz pull himself out of the pillows.

' _Burning like a fire made of ice. Twisted and wrong. Burning and blazing and eating away at other things._' She looked down at the smaller spirit. ' _Destroying things. Destroying you. A terrible fire that burns down everything in its path._'

" Oh." Ojama Yellow said mournfully. " Poor Chazz."

' _We'll save him_.' Tutu promised, leading him out of the room. ' _Alexis and Jaden. They're strong. They'll save him._'

" I hope so." Ojama Yellow whispered, his head hung low.

As the two spirits vanished through the wall of the room, neither noticed Chazz climbing to his feet and standing, his face hidden by the shadow of his bangs. The aura around him spun faster and faster, sinking into his clothing and making him glow. Around him, the colours of the room seemed to fade, as though the light around Chazz was sucking them in, leaving the world around him drab and worn. He clenched his fists, and raised his head, looking at the ceiling with fury in his eyes.

" Stupid bitch is too lost, even for me." He whispered, and the aura that hadn't sunk into him flared to life and curled over his arms in a protective manner. " She's too far gone and she's taken my monster away from me. I can't save her."

Abruptly, the light slithered into the sleeves of his white jacket, and Chazz threw his head back, gritting his teeth as his body was held rigid. He sank to his knees, and over the collar of his jacket, the light crept up, slinking until it reached his hairline, and then seemed to fade into his skin. Chazz's eyes flew open, pupils almost rolling back into his skull, the whites of his eyes almost glowing.

And then he slumped forward, panting hard, one hand fisted on his knee.

" That," he whispered roughly when he found the strength to speak, " is an excellent idea."

* * *

Hey everyone! Sorry for the late update, but this was my first week back to university. I'm bussing it up this year, and most of my day is spent on campus at Trent. I don't get home until about 8, and then I need to eat dinner, so updates are gonna be pretty late for this year. Sorry, but there's not really anything I can do. Education comes first.

So, here we see the return of Creepy!Chazz. And we get to see how much I fucked him over for this story. He is in no way, shape, or form right. I actually got a little freaked out writing him. He scares me because he's so ruthless. There is very little he won't do, and you'll see more of that later on.

Before you ask, yes. Alexis' descent into the Society of Light will be painful. VERY painful.

That's really about it for this week. I'll see you soon for the Chazz vs. Alexis duel.

MoS


	19. Disturbing Changes

Warnings: Creepy!Chazz is creepy. And Flustered!Lia is flustered. That is all.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

" What do you mean, Chazz took over the Blue Dorm?"

Just the fact that the day started with that phrase was enough to let Alexis know that it wasn't going to be a good day.

Jasmine had come running up to them almost immediately after classes had let out, Mindy not too far behind her. Despite panting for breath, both of them had been pale and nervous, trying to convey what had them in such a fluster, but they'd been too wound up to really get their point across. It hadn't been until Jaden and the others (including Lia who had been going over what looked like an essay with Syrus) had caught up with her that Jasmine had managed to spit out that Chazz had somehow managed to duel the entire Obelisk Blue Dorm into submission.

" What I mean is exactly what I said." The redhead insisted, righting herself. Beside her, Mindy was still hunched over, hands on her knees, regulating her breathing, and cursing quietly under her breath.

" So you're telling me that Chazz took over the Obelisk Dorm." Alexis raised a sceptical brow. " Just, waltzed in and took it over. No questions asked."

" He dueled everybody." Jasmine explained. " And he won. Without so much as breaking a sweat."

" That doesn't sound like Chazz. He's good, but he's not that good." Alexis muttered. Beside her, Cyber Tutu appeared, leaning forward to rub the blonde's shoulder comfortingly. Alexis glanced at her out of the corner of her eye and smiled.

" Yeah, and that's not all!" Mindy had finally regained her breath.

" What else?" Jaden asked as he stepped forward, serious look on his face. Mindy sighed.

"After he beat them...something...happened."

" Something?" Both Alexis' and Jaden's eyes narrowed at the word. Mindy nodded slowly, her brow furrowing as she tried to find the words to accurately describe what Chazz had done.

" Yeah. After he beat them, they all started acting...weird."

" Weird how?" Alexis asked, taking charge. Mindy shook her head.

"I don't know how to describe it. Weird. Like...like..."

" Ranting on about 'The Light'? Talking about how we're all blind? Going on about how they were going to 'save' us?" Lia's voice cut through the silence Mindy's stuttering had left. The younger girl had her arms crossed over her chest, eyes narrowed into slits, and her mouth set in a grim line.

" How...did you..." Mindy started, her own eyes wide. Lia sighed, shrugged, and then dragged one of her hands through her bangs.

" Because that's what Chazz has been like for the past few weeks." She answered, sounding tired.

" You think he's done something?" Syrus asked. Alexis huffed.

" Oh I have no doubt in my mind." She started towards the Blue Dorms. " C'mon, let's go sort this out before it gets to be too big a problem, okay?"

The group fell into line behind her, both Jasmine and Mindy sidling up beside Lia, sly looks on their faces.

" So..." Mindy started, affecting to look innocent.

" Where's Bastian?" Jasmine finished for her.

" Finishing a project for one of his dueling classes." Lia answered, looking from Mindy on her right to Jasmine on her left with suspicion. " Why?"

" Oh no reason." Jasmine quickly said, waving off the question in a way that only made her look all the more guilty.

" So..." Mindy started again after a brief pause.

" So..." Jasmine echoed a few seconds later when Mindy didn't continue. Lia raised an eyebrow, looking between the two with air of someone whose patience had run out long ago.

" So what?" She finally prompted, getting sick of the silence between the three of them. Jasmine cleared her throat loudly.

" So...heard from Aster Phoenix lately?" Mindy plunged in.

Lia whipped her head around to look at the dark-haired girl, not even noticing when her braid hit Jasmine in the nose, and the redhead let out a yelp and jumped back.

" _What_?" She almost shrieked, her face going pale. " _No_! God no! Why would I?"

" Yeah, why would she?" Syrus cut in, looking confused. Jasmine, who had been nursing her injured nose up until that point, immediately leapt forward, her face lit up in a disturbingly knowing smile.

" Oh, don't you know?"

" Know what?" Jaden leaned back, looking curiously at Lia, who had gone from deathly pale to beet red so fast both Jaden and Syrus were sure she had gotten whiplash.

" Nothing!" The girl snarled. " Absoluement rien!"

" You don't use French unless you're stressed." Jaden observed.

" Lia, what are you hiding?" Syrus asked sternly, hands on his hips.

" Nuzzin!" Lia hissed, before slapping her hands over her mouth as her accent thickened.

" Aster Phoenix _personally_ invited her to that first duel he had with Jaden." Jasmine pointed to the Slifer, looking very much like the cat that got the canary. In fact, all the second-years could easily picture yellow feathers drifting down from her mouth, which made Lia hyper aware of the yellow jacket tied around her waist.

" He _invited_ her?" Jaden asked in surprise at the same time Syrus said incredulously, " He had the courtesy to give an _invitation_?"

" Yeah, how do you think we got in?" Mindy asked, bouncing happily next to Lia. " He totally asked her to come after she found us talking to him."

" And totally pulled her usual attitude on him." Jasmine added. Mindy nodded along enthusiastically.

" Yeah, and he _totally_ said that he didn't like it when cute girls were mad at him, so he wanted to make it up to her."

" Totally." Jasmine agreed.

" If you use that word again I will _totally_ throw you both off of a cliff." Lia snarled, her face bright red. Jasmine just winked at her, and Mindy threw an arm around her shoulders, fussing over her hair and cooing about how cute it was that she was embarrassed. Which Lia of course denied and tried to shove the older girl off, but Mindy held on tight.

" Aster really said that to you?" Jaden asked, peering at Lia. The girl looked away.

" Not like it matters, but yeah. And besides, I had every right to be mad. His stupid board nearly took my head off. Twice!"

Syrus blinked.

" Is that why you chucked it at him last time? I thought you were just being mean."

" Can't believe I missed him. I never miss."

" Maybe you were distracted by his icy blue eyes." Jasmine suggested.

" Or his perfect jaw." Mindy chimed in.

" Or those dreamy lips."

" Or that gorgeous bod."

Lia snorted.

" He's good-looking. He's not that good-looking."

" Really?" Jasmine threaded her arm through Lia's. " Then why'd'ya miss?"

" It was dark, I was tired, he had good reflexes." The younger girl shrugged.

" Sounds like _de-nial_ to me." Jasmine said in a sing-song voice. Lia snorted again.

" Even if he is good-looking, and I admit that he is, he's a completely prick. Guys that act like he does are a major turn-off for me."

" Yeah." Mindy seemed to deflate a little. " He _was_ a bit of a jerk."

" Just goes to show you. Book by its cover and all." Jasmine agreed. The boys pulled away from the conversation, more than a little afraid it would dissolve down into girl-talk.

" But he is hot."

" Of course he is, no one's denying that. But the question is, could you stand to be around him and his ego for extended periods of time?"

" I guess not. A whole dinner with him might be a bit insufferable."

" Jazz, cherié, an _hour_ with him would be pushing it."

" Why are all the pretty ones either gay or jackasses?"

" Because Min, the world is cruel."

" Tell me about it."

" So Kitten, how are things on the Bastian front?"

" I'm not talking about that."

" Kitten! You're no fun!"

" Mindy, stop pouting, it won't work on me."

" She's right Min, you tried it last year, remember?"

" It worked then! She let me dress her up for the Date That Never Was!"

" Okay, one, you _kidnapped_ me, and that's the only reason I cooperated. And two, I can almost _hear_ the capitals you're putting on those words. Stop it."

" Aw, Lia, c'mon, don't be such a-"

But whatever Lia was being was never found out. Mindy was cut off by the sunlight bouncing blindingly off of the newly painted roofs of the Obelisk Blue Dorm. The group forgot about any minor differences of opinion they might be having in favour of shielding their eyes from the sight.

" Mon Dieu." Lia muttered. " What the hell have they done to it?"

They'd painted it white, apparently.

From top to bottom, the former Blue Dorm gleamed a pristine, flawless white that reflected the sunlight so perfectly it was impossible to look at without going blind. They had to put their hands over their eyes like visors before they could even begin the approach. Alexis looked around wildly, her jaw clenched. Jaden was wincing and looking back the way they'd come, blinking as he tried to get his eyes to work again. Syrus had taken off his glasses and was frantically rubbing his eyes, as if convinced that what was before him was an illusion.

" You came!"

The group whipped around, varying looks of disbelief on their faces.

Sitting on the steps of the newly painted dorm, his black hair almost shining against the white doors, his face so white it seemed to disappear into the building behind him, and a polite, blank smile on his face, was Chazz Princeton.

" Do you like it?" He asked eagerly, jumping to his feet and throwing his hands out.

" Chazz, what..." Alexis tried, but trailed off. " ...What...What is all this?"

Chazz's smile grew from polite to a bit fanatical.

" This is our new home. A place for those who have seen the Light. A gathering place for those of us who are no longer blinded by the darkness of this world. This," he turned around to gaze up at the white doors proudly, " is our sanctuary."

" What did you do to the Obelisk Blue students?" Alexis snapped, feeling unnerved by Chazz's speech. The boy looked back at her, his smiling growing. A shiver went down Alexis' spine and before she could stop herself, she had taken a step back, her whole focused on getting away from Chazz and his burning eyes. He was looking at her, right at, like she was the only person in existence, and while that wasn't exactly a new trick for him, the way he was doing it made her queasy. Chazz wasn't looking at her with that lovesick, desperate plea in his eyes. Instead, he was looking right _through_ her, past her bravado and her words and right down into her soul. He was staring at her like he knew every one of her well-kept secrets, like he could see into her soul and had judged it wanting. She shuddered again before she could stop herself, the weight of his eyes suddenly crushing her, collapsing her ribcage into her lungs and cutting off her air. The pressure built in her head, pounding at her skull as she tried to ignore it. It was as if there was too much air in her head, and it was pushing back at its confines, trying desperately to get out, pushing harder and harder until her whole head threatened to explode.

' _There's a cold fire inside of him_.' Tutu whispered in her ear and the feeling stopped. ' _He's burning_.'

' I know.' Alexis said softly. ' But I have to try and save him. He's my friend, you know.'

She felt the warm rush of her duel spirit's affection wash over her, and it gave her the strength to take a few steps forward, until she was in range of Chazz's personal bubble.

' _You are brave and strong. A good friend. I'll be with you, whatever happens._'

And Alexis nodded, not seeing the way Chazz's eyes darkened as they fell on Cyber Tutu.

" Chazz, whatever you did, undo it right now!" Jasmine yelled.

" You're seriously starting to freak me out!" Mindy added. " And the others are acting totally crazy!"

" You won't get through to him." Lia whispered. Both Obelisk girls turned to look at her, but the younger girl ducked her head down, her bangs falling into her face and hiding her eyes.

" He's too far gone. No matter what you say, it won't get through to him."

" But, Lia-"

" You can't!" Lia shouted, whipping her head up to reveal glassy eyes. Jasmine took a step back, startled by the outburst, but Mindy reached over and gently put her hand on the Ra's shoulder.

" Lia?"

The girl shook her head, trying to hide the fact that she was sniffling.

" He's not there anymore. He's gone." She looked over at Chazz, who smiled at her, and gave him a glare.

" Whoever that person is, he isn't Chazz and we can't get through to him with angry words."

" What you're saying is that the time for talk is over." Alexis steeled her resolve and took a step forward. She thrust the arm her duel disk was attached to towards Chazz. " There's only one way to settle this, and that's with a duel."

Chazz nodded, carefully reaching down to tap his deck.

" You're right, of course. We'll duel, and I promise, Alexis, I'll help you to let go of all that darkness."

" Not happening." The blonde grit her teeth. A warm weight shifting onto her back, and Cyber Tutu's arms curled around her shoulders, hugging her close and glaring at Chazz.

' _I swear, I won't let you burn._'

* * *

They were all, admittedly, starting to get nervous.

If it wasn't enough that Chazz had arrived at the arena with a group of howling fanatics in tow, all of whom were dressed in the same, immaculate white outfit Chazz sported. Chazz had almost made a point of apologizing for the noise, courteously offering to move the duel to a quieter location, and complimenting Alexis' ability to drown out excess noise when she'd refused to delay the duel even one second longer. The fact that he done all that while assuring Alexis that she would soon see the Light, and then adding that he'd save the others as well, made everything all the more creepy.

Chazz didn't seem at all worried over the duel. In fact, he went so far as to claim that it was his destiny to win, and save all his friends from being lost in the dark.

Alexis had come back with a comment about his mental state, but Chazz had simply waved it off, smiling and telling Alexis she would understand soon enough. That, coupled with the smile that hadn't left Chazz's face for a moment in what was going on a month, had the group sitting on Alexis' side of the stadium, especially her big brother (who'd just come back from Auto Shop, and still had little telltale smears of grease on his face), more than a little worried.

In fact, they were so worried, they didn't even notice the boy standing by the entrance to the arena, watching the goings on with sharp blue eyes.

Aster raised a silvery brow as a short green-haired boy and a dark-skinned girl, both in yellow, came tearing into the arena, completely ignoring him in the haste.

" Has it started yet?" The boy asked as he climbed up into the stands. Jaden gave him a hand and hauled him up, shaking his head. The girl waved enthusiastically, and bounded up to sit next to Syrus.

"Hi Syrus!" The boy returned her smile, which caused her to blush and look away, fiddling with the hem of her skirt. Aster rolled his eyes as the short boy looked at his companion in confusion, and looked back at the duel, where Chazz had made the first move.

Aster felt his eyes narrow of their own accord.

" _Did Sartorius send you here?"_

_Aster jumped, and tried to cover up his look of surprise with one of cold contempt. Before him, leaning with his hands folded behind his back, was Chazz Princeton, wearing a bright white jacket whose tails swept the ground, stirring up dust every time the boy moved._

" _What?" Aster asked, puzzled. Chazz continued to stare up at the sky, watching moon almost hypnotically._

" _Isn't is amazing that no matter how thick the darkness is, a bit of light always manages to penetrate it?"_

" _Okay dude, you are being seriously random." Aster shook his head. " Did that cute brunette hit __**you**__ with my board before she threw it at me?"_

" _Even in the middle of the night, even when the moon is blacked out, the stars still manage to give us a little light to see by."_

" _Do you even hear the words I'm saying?" Aster asked with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. The last thing he needed was some nutcase spouting philosophical crap at him right before his rematch with Jaden._

" _Still, it's not enough." Chazz said, turning abruptly so that he was facing Aster. " That meagre light that fights its way through the dark isn't enough to save us. It can't light up the whole world, and show us what we've been blind to for so long!"_

" _Okay, you're crazy dude." Aster started to back away._

" _But it does inspire us to seek more light, doesn't it?" Chazz asked rhetorically. " It gives us hope by reminding us that the darkness is not impenetrable. That light will always find a way through to us. That there is something beyond the darkness that hides the world from us that is worth fighting for!" _

_Without warning, his hand shot out and grabbed a hold of Aster, drawing him back so that Chazz could look into his eyes._

" _Tell Master Sartorius that everything is going well." Chazz gave him a bright smile that made Aster feel sick. He was too shocked to struggle, and Chazz took the American's silence as his agreement. " Tell him I will save those who are lost, and I will definitely save my friends. Tell him..."_

_Chazz paused, looking up at the sky reverently. Aster shuddered, and pulled his arm back without any resistance from Chazz. The older boy just looked at the large, white moon, smiling._

" _...Tell him someday soon I will bring him Jaden Yuki."_

Aster shook himself free of the memory as Armed Dragon Level 5 smashed into Cyber Tutu, sending the pretty monster careening back before she vanished in a whirl of sparkles and smoke. Alexis' head whipped back so that she could follow her monster's fall, and a look of horror passed over the pretty girl's face as Tutu disappeared. Then she turned back around and shouted a vicious curse at Chazz.

Aster shook his head.

' She's getting way too hot-headed about this. She's gonna start making mistakes unless she cools down.'

In the stands above, a brunet boy leapt to his feet, shouting at the girl down in the arena.

" Sis! Quit letting him psyche you out and _focus_! You can beat this idiot with your eyes closed!" Aster smirked to himself, nodding at the boy's words. " And to help inspire you to win, I wrote you a little song!"

Aster's eyes flew open, but a second later, the boy was holding his stomach, turning teary eyes on a less than sympathetic Lia, who retracted her elbow.

" No. Singing." She said coldly, and Aster shook his head in amusement.

' Still, at least she's listening to him and getting her head in this game.' He watched Alexis play Pot of Greed, and summon her Cyber Petit Angel.

' But..'

He glanced over to Chazz, who was still staring vacantly at Alexis, as though he was looking right through her.

'...against someone like that...'

_. " It gives us hope by reminding us that the darkness is not impenetrable. That light will always find a way through to us. That there is something beyond the darkness that hides the world from us that is worth fighting for!" _

'...does she really stand a chance?'

* * *

Hey all! Ready for the Chazz vs. Alexis duel?

...

Yeah, me neither. But, here it goes, nonetheless.

Hoh boy, what can I say about this chapter...other than Lia, HAVE you seen Aster Phoneix lately?

Lia: I will kill you with FIRE!

...I choose to take that as a yes.

Lia: Make that a ROCK!

Anyway, aside from Lia's little romantic adventure (no, Jazz and Mindy are never gonna let her live it done. Ever.), there's nothing in here that isn't really self-explanatory.

Join me next time when the shit hits the fan! And Lia totally DID see him. Totally.

Lia: A ROCK ON FIRE! That is how you will die! There will be a rock, and it will be on FIRE!

Buh-bye now!

MoS


	20. Shattering Moment

Warnings: Did...Did I just write THAT? Holy shit, this is getting ugly!

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

" I play my Cyber Petit Angel!" Alexis shouted as the small monster materialized in front of her. " And by using its special effect, I get to add my Machine Angel Ritual card to my hand."

" You can play all the ritual cards you want, Alexis, but it won't change the future that is laid out on the path." Chazz said politely. Alexis twitched.

" You can take your path and shove it right up your ass!"

" There's no need to get so upset."

" The Hell there isn't! You think you can just waltz in here and tell me that you're destined to win? You think you can just get away with that?"

" Alexis, calm down."

" Don't tell me what to do! I got enough of that last year! When will you figure out that I make my own path, and no one, not you, not my parents, not even Atticus, tells me which way that path goes!"

Chazz shook his head.

" Alexis, how can you possibly make your path if you can't even see what's in front of you?"

" What do you mean?" Alexis asked through gritted teeth.

" I mean that you have been blinded, Alexis." Chazz gave her a sympathetic look. " Blinded by the horrible darkness that has enshrouded the world."

" I'm not blind, Chazz." Alexis flipped a card in between her fingers. " I can see clearly, and I'll prove it to you!"

She slapped her ritual card into place, the heady rush of being back where she belonged make her giddy. Here was something she understood. Here was something she could work with. Forget Chazz and his ramblings, forget the hundreds of nutcases at his back, forget the fact that this duel was going surprisingly in his favour. All there was, all there could ever be in the arena was her, her cards, and the adrenaline pumping through her veins.

This was her own true kingdom, where she reigned supreme, and no psychotic cult leader was going to just parade his way through it without paying her any mind.

" I sacrifice my Petit Angel, and my Cyber Prima, to summon the one, the only, Cyber Angel Dakini!"

There was a bright flash of light (that didn't quite rival the blinding brilliance of the new White Dorm), and when it clears, standing tall and proud was her angel, bedecked in an orange top that skimmed the top of her ribs, black and gold pants that hung low on her hips, and a golden helmet with a matching veil that hung down to the small of her back.

Alexis smiled as the monster gave her a respectful nod.

' _You're playing strong_.' Cyber Tutu whispered at her side. ' _Dakini is good. She'll look after you._'

' Honestly, I'm interested in her taking care of Chazz.'

' _Watch him. He burns. Almost too brightly._' Tutu's lips were pulled back in a snarl. ' _He's dangerous._'

' You don't have to tell me twice. I can see that.'

' _No, you don't see. Not what I see._'

' And what do you see?' Alexis turned from the duel for a moment, looking at her monster spirit warily. Cyber Tutu bit her lower lip, much like Lia was wont to do, and shook her head, her straight pink hair swishing from side to side with the movements. ' Tutu...'

' _It hurts to talk about. It's wrong, so wrong._'

' Tutu, tell me what he did.' Alexis glared sternly at the monster. She kept silent. ' Tutu!'

' _He burns too bright._' Cyber Tutu whispered, hanging her head. ' _He burns so bright it hurts._'

' Hurts who?' Alexis placed a hand on her spirit's arm, uncaring that she was probably getting a few weird looks. ' Hurts you?'

The ballerina shook her head.

' _Yes. No. Only when I touch him. Then he burns me too._'

' So don't touch him then.' Alexis went to give her Dakini orders.

' _But I have to._'

' Why?'

' _Or else._'

' Or else what?'

Tutu was silent.

' Tutu.'

Alexis tossed in anger.

' Tutu!'

The monster just hung her head, shaking it back and forth slowly, a thin track of tears glimmering on her cheek.

' _Answer the mistress, Cyber Tutu._'

The voice was a deep female one, powerful and compelling. Alexis jumped back, startled, and swung her head around wildly, trying to find the source of the voice. Her eyes came to rest on her Dakini, and they widened as the monster tipped its head once again towards her, and then looked at Cyber Tutu. The ballerina shuffled uncomfortably under the angel's stare.

" Tutu?" Alexis dared to whisper out loud, reaching forward to pull her downtrodden spirit into a one armed hug. A murmur rose up from the crowd behind Chazz, but the boy himself was silent, although Alexis could feel the heat of his gaze on her.

'_...He burns his own monsters._'

Alexis went still. The words echoed in her head, her mind trying to wrap itself around the concept. Chazz wasn't the nicest guy, and he had never been very loving to the Ojamas, but to purposely go out of his way to cause them pain was something Alexis would never believe of Chazz. He wasn't a great partner for any monster to have, but he was a far cry from a sadistic monster who derived joy from hurting others. Alexis had a vague idea that Chazz himself had been on the receiving end of an abusive relationship (and after meeting his brothers in real life, she'd felt that her theory had been all but confirmed), and was pretty sure he wouldn't wish that torment on anyone else.

And when it came down to the wire, as it had the previous year, Chazz was willing to stick his neck out and protect his monsters. She remembered the terrified squeaks of noise coming from the arm he'd had curled against his body, and she could remember seeing three, brightly coloured bodies pressed tightly to him, as though he was trying to shield them with his own body.

Chazz wouldn't hurt the Ojama Brothers the way Cyber Tutu was implying.

At least, the old Chazz wouldn't have. This new one was an entirely unknown element, and therefore should not be messed with too recklessly. But that was something Alexis conveniently forgot as she pulled away from Cyber Tutu to look at Chazz with murder in her eye. Alexis had just recently discovered her own monster spirit, and she felt she had years of friendship and protection to make up for. And hearing people make crude comments about those who were able to see the spirits was more than enough to set her blood boiling. The only thing that made her angrier was the idea of someone abusing their spirit.

And Chazz, by some sick twist of fate, had managed to fall under that description.

" You _bastard._" Alexis snarled as she took several steps forward.

Chazz tilted his head to the side.

" Beg your pardon?"

" You filthy, rotten, pathetic little excuse for a man." Alexis' tone was dangerously low. " Of all the twisted shit you've pulled since I met you, Chazz Princeton, this has got to be the worst! I can't believe you would sink so low. I can't believe you would go this far. It's the most disgusting thing I've ever heard in my life, and I hope you know you're going straight to Hell for this, via my bare hands you fucking bastard!"

Her last word rung through the arena like a battle cry. Chazz stared at her, reaching up to brush a stray lock of hair behind his ear, and pull a look of polite interest onto his face.

" I understand that you're upset, and I don't blame you for shouting at me, but if you could just clear up what it is that I've done, then this whole thing can be talked out."

It was the wrong thing to say.

" You want to _talk_?" Alexis screamed at him, her face flushing with anger. " You think you can throw a bunch of fancy words out, and this whole thing will just _go away_? You think a conversation is going to redeem you? No fucking way in Hell, you bastard! There is no force on Earth that will ever make me forget what you've done!"

" Which is..." Chazz prompted, fiddling with his cards.

" _You hurt your monster spirits!_"

For the second time, the arena rang silent. Chazz looked up from his fiddling, finally, and his eyes met Alexis'. And if she hadn't been so mad, she would've balked at the viciousness that reflected out of Chazz's grey orbs. There was something crackling in his eyes, a wicked, cruel power that no one had given a name to, its true name lost to the sands of time. It hissed and slithered like a snake through his eyes, barely staying a second before it retreated back into the depths of Chazz's heart, and his eyes were just feverish and glazed once again.

Behind her, Alexis heard Jaden suck in a desperate, pained breath, and the feel of his eyes slowly wandering over to stare at Chazz with what Alexis thought was probably betrayal more than made up for the buzzing jeers that came from Chazz's side of the seats.

" I don't what you're talking about."

Alexis' hackles raised even more at his denial.

" You hurt your spirits. I know you did."

" I did no such thing."

" Then how come Cyber Tutu says you did, huh? How come she says that? Is she a liar, then?"

" I don't know what your spirit has told you, but I didn't hurt my Ojama." Alexis opened her mouth to protest, but Chazz cut her off. " I did, however, try to show him the Light."

" What?" Alexis whispered, but she barely heard herself over the indignant screech Cyber Tutu gave.

' _Show the Light? __**Show the Light**__?_' Her monster shot forward until she was nose to nose with Chazz. ' _You're burning and you tried to burn him too!_'

" I wanted my monster spirit with me, is that so wrong?" Chazz said softly.

' _You were burning him! He was __**dying**__!'_

" If he had died, it would've only been because he couldn't step out of the darkness and into the Light."

' _You would kill your own monster? You'd burn him! Like he was nothing, like he was just paper! You'd burn your own monster?_' Cyber Tutu reared up for a kick. ' _You...__**monster**__!_'

Chazz caught the kick mid swing.

As Tutu's green eyes widened, Chazz's entire face transformed. A cruel smirk twisted up his lips and the shadows under his eyes grew deeper as his skin turned skeletal white, all the life sucked out of it and into his now positively _blazing_ eyes. Tutu recoiled in horror, but Chazz held fast, squeezing her leg harshly. Alexis let out a wordless shout, and Jaden yelled something in Japanese, his tone pleading. Chazz hauled the pretty ballerina closer, his lips as white as the rest of his face as he pulled them back to bare teeth that seemed to merge into his paper-pale face. The entire image was that of a monstrous caricature of a human being, as if the wickedness that had been in Chazz's eyes earlier in the duel was showing on his face.

" Listen up, little dancer, and listen well; pretty soon, the whole world's gonna burn. It's go up in flames as the Light finally breaks through and incinerates this darkness that's holding everyone at bay. And once the last vestiges of this putrid, blind world have been burned to the ground, Master Sartorius will become the vessel for the Light and lead us to the salvation we've been waiting so long for." His grip became bruising. " And heretics like you will fall to the fire and fade into ashes. You are the one who binds Alexis to this world. You are the one who is blinding her. You've taken my monster from me and that was not a wise move on your part. You've shown me that you're beyond saving. I can't make you see the Light. I can't open your eyes to the truth, so you, my dear, will burn with the darkness when the time comes. I won't let you or those who would stand with you hold my friends captive any longer. Your interference-"

" Chazz, _don't_!" Jaden shouted, vaulting out of the stands and landing running.

" – _ends here_!"

For a second, no one was sure what was happening. And then there was an explosion of light, brighter and stronger than anything a duel disk had ever created, that made the stadium rock in its foundation. The blast knocked several people off their feet, and those on Alexis' side had to dive under their seats to avoid the shockwaves that rippled out after the initial boom. Over the sound of the stadium swaying, and people shouting (her side) or cheering (Chazz's side), Alexis heard an agonized, high-pitched wail that ripped right through her. She tumbled to her feet, spots dancing in front of her eyes as the light faded, and threw her hands against her ears, trying to drown out the ringing that had erupted in her ears.

_**seetheLight**_-

Alexis shook her head frantically to clear it. When she opened her eyes (and blinked several times to get rid of the spots), the dust was settling, and Chazz was standing on his side of the field, monsters at the ready. Her own Dakini had her arms up to shield her face, but other than that appeared unharmed. At the side of the platform, Jaden stood, staring in horror at something only a few meters from Alexis. The girl followed his gaze, swallowing a lump of fear in her throat, and felt the world stop spinning under her feet when she saw what Jaden was looking at.

It was Cyber Tutu.

Her hair was dishevelled, and singed, laying half on her face and half fanned out behind her, uneven and choppy. She was eagle spread on her back on the platform, her limbs thrown recklessly out at her sides, one arm twisted at an unnatural angle. There were scorch marks running up and down her body, her pale green and red body suit all but blown away, clinging at her hips and chest, and the skin underneath was a raw, ugly red. Both her slippers her lost, and her translucent, pink tutu was in shreds, hanging down over her hips and legs in tattered rags. The leg Chazz had been holding was bleeding and burned so bad it looked black, bent at the knee at an angle it had no business being it. Her visor was cracked, half of it, the right half, gone. Her face was covered in scratches from the glass, and there was one long cut going from her temple almost down to her chin on the outside of her eye, just skirting her ear.

Alexis let out a strangled noise and tried to run forward, but Chazz beat her to it, walking to the fallen monster and nudging her none too gently forward with his foot.

" You're too lost in the darkness. I'm sorry. I would never have been able to save you."

He raised his foot up, ready to bring it down on Cyber Tutu's already burned chest.

" _Get away from her!_"

Chazz's foot paused in its decent, and then he was being shoved away, crashing to the ground as a blue blur collided with him. Alexis skidded to her knees in front of Cyber Tutu, her hands hovering over her spirit's body as if she wanted to touch it, but was afraid of causing more damage. Chazz carefully picked himself up, dusting his white jacket off.

" It had to be done." He said softly.

" Shut up." Alexis whispered, her voice blank.

" It was the only way."

" Shut up."

" She was too far into the dark, I couldn't pull her out-"

" Shut up, shut up, _shut the fuck up you fucking monster_!" Alexis screamed as she threw herself to her feet, rushing forward and grabbing Chazz by his collar. " Don't you fucking talk like you know a fucking thing! Don't you fucking talk to me ever again! You hurt her! You _fucking __**hurt her**_!" She whipped her hand back, ready to plough it into Chazz's face. The fact that his face was completely calm, as if he hadn't just blasted her innocent spirit into oblivion, only made her angrier.

" I'll kill you for this!" She yelled through her tears, and drove her fist forward.

" Alexis!" Jaden's voice stopped her dead, her clenched hand no more than an inch from Chazz's nose. " Alexis, stop, this won't help her."

" You saw what he did!" Alexis didn't relinquish her grip on Chazz. " You saw what he did to my Tutu!"

" Alexis, I know it hurts, I know. But right now, you're in the middle of a duel. You have to think about that. You do this, and the duel is over, and you'll be in serious trouble."

" I don't care!" Alexis screamed at the younger boy, shaking Chazz with the hand she was gripping his jacket with. " I don't fucking care! He hurt my Tutu and I want to hurt him! I want to fucking _hurt_ him Jaden! Let me!"

" I'm not letting you do this." Jaden said slowly, inching towards the platform.

" Fuck you Jaden, he deserves it!"

" I know he does Lex, but not here, not now. Not when that clearly isn't Chazz." Alexis stopped for a second, giving him a watery, confused look. " Whatever it is that made him do that, it's inside Chazz and making him do awful things, and it isn't Chazz's fault. Don't throw away everything you've worked for at this school for an action that won't even be satisfying."

Alexis let her fist drop, curling it on the other side of Chazz collar and shaking him lightly as she began to sob.

" He hurt her, her hurt her and it isn't fair." She said brokenly, leaning against a stoic Chazz to keep herself upright.

" I know Lex." Jaden whispered, staring at Cyber Tutu with haunted eyes. " I know."

" It was the only choice." Chazz said in a monotone. Alexis's head, half buried in his shoulder as she cried, rose a little bit. " She was lost in the darkness, too lost to be saved. She was keeping you there with her, Alexis."

" She would never do anything to hurt me!" Alexis shouted in his face, shoving him down to the ground again. Standing over him, tears still falling down her cheeks and sobs still wracking her body, Alexis launched into a tirade.

" There is no darkness, Chazz, you hear me? There is no fucking darkness! We are not trapped anywhere and we are not blind! There is no 'light' that is coming to save us, and you aren't an elite member of some crazy society chosen by that light! All you are is a fucked up bastard in a fucked up cult that needs justification for hurting the weak and innocent, so you made up a cruel and merciless god to follow! You are nothing but a sadistic monster, and you derive pleasure from seeing others in pain! You're so fucking fucked up I can't even begin to comprehend it! You are the vilest thing to ever crawl out from under the dirt of society since the Devil took over hell. Go back to whatever pit you clawed your way out of and stay there until you die! You make me sick! You actually make me physically sick! I never want to see you again! I want you to get out of my sight! I fucking hate you, Chazz Princeton! I hate you with everything I am! I would love nothing more than to kill you, but I can't even punch you because it's against the fucking rules!" She fell to her knees before him, arm pulled back once again. " I surrender, I fucking s_urrender_! And since the duel is over, I can do this!"

She yanked her arm back even further, fury making her eyes almost glow. Her arm went as far back as it could go without being dislocated from the shoulder, and then, without warning or hesitation, it snapped forward, clenched fisted headed right for Chazz's face. Jaden shouted a warning, and behind him Atticus leapt from his seat, landing over the barrier in a crouch and taking off running towards his sister. The air rushed in Alexis' ears, her heart pounding furiously until it threatened to punch through her ribs and slam into Chazz, cutting through him like his blast cut through Cyber Tutu. The panicked shouts of her friends were distant roars in the back of her head, and her tunnel vision was focused on Chazz alone.

Her fist sailed forward, ready to break Chazz's infuriatingly calm face into tiny pieces.

But it never connected.

A split second before, there was a flash of light, and then it was a glow gathering in Chazz's empty hand, swirling and tumbling around until it was ball of pure, white light. It spun, fast and hot, and his whole body tingled as the burn made his hand numb.

Then he slammed it into Alexis' chest.

There was a split second where both her mind and body shut down from shock. There was a heat at her front, rippling out to the far corners of her body, racing along the pathways of her bones and seeping into her blood and rushing up to worm its way into her mind, but for that moment of shock, all she could feel was her body being suspended weightlessly off the ground, the air rushing so hard against her ears she should hear every puff it made as it slipped over her skin. She was aware of nothing, not even her own heartbeat, save for the warmth in her chest that was slowly spreading to her senses and yanking them back to life.

The last thing she saw before the light exploded over her vision was Jaden's face in shadow, his fingers outstretched and his body set against a strange, silver light.

* * *

Cyber Tutu struggled in Jaden's grip, fighting back with more strength than someone in her condition should be able to muster. Jaden held fast at her waist, his one arm looped around it and the other extended forward, his bangs shadowing his eyes as the silvery light that had helped him against the Sacred Beasts swam over him and pushed back the whiteness that had been trying to creep forward.

' _No! __**No!**_' Cyber Tutu kicked him with her good leg, the other hanging dead at her side. Jaden just tightened his grip.

Atticus was at his side, making wild gestures towards Alexis, but Jaden ignored him, pulling Cyber Tutu away as the whiteness reached up with shapeless hands to touch her damaged skin. She scrapped at his arm with her barely functioning hand, the other reaching out desperately towards her mistress.

Jaden pulled her closer still, encasing her in the silver light as the whiteness grew brighter. In the corner of his eye, he saw Lia drop to her knees, one hand curled in the material at her chest, and the other on the armrest at her side, supporting herself. She raised her haggard face to meet his, her eyes widening as she took in the silver light that surrounded him. She dropped her gaze as another stab of pain went through her, and Jaden turned away, looking back at the platform.

' _Let me go to her! Let me__** go!**_' Cyber Tutu begged, pulling at his arm. Jaden shook his head.

The monster spirit's answers wail of '_**Alexiiiiiiis!**_' perfectly matched the scream of pain that tore itself from Alexis' lips right before she fainted dead away at Chazz's feet.

* * *

...

I...I have no words. I can't believe I churned that out.

You wanna know the worst part? This isn't even as bad as it gets. That's right, everybody, there's more to come. And it gets WORSE.

MoS


	21. Offering Hands

Warnings: There are sadtiems ahead. You have all been warned. And if you didn't see this coming, then I am ashamed to know you. I mean, GOD, we're in the frickin' Society of Light Arc! Everyone's getting brainwashed left, right, and centre!

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_.

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

Lia wasn't sure what was going on. That in itself wasn't a very big oddity, given that she was in the dueling stadium watching a duel come to an abrupt and frightful end. She was usually lost when it came to dueling. She could follow the game at a rudimentary level, and could name a few of the monsters from memory (because repetition was good for remembering, and her friends usually made her sit through their duels, unless the class she had was something she couldn't miss), but beyond that, she generally tended to sit in a haze, relying on the others to shed light of what move had just been made, why someone had lost lifepoints, and what that one card did.

So Lia being confused wasn't the issue.

Alexis, groggily sitting up, bangs in her eyes and hand pressing into her temple, most certainly was.

Lia was over the side of the stands as fast as her legs could carry her. Unlike both Atticus and Jaden, she didn't dare try and jump the barrier, but leapt down the stairs two at a time, her grip on the railing tightening as she stumbled with her landing. Beside her, Hassleberry flung himself gracefully over the chairs and landed _on_ the barrier, glaring at Chazz with no friendly light in his jungle green eyes. Syrus was racing down the stairs behind her, muttering darkly, while Abeni had her head in her hands, shaking so much Lia could see it from where she stood at the bottom of the stairs. Brier had an arm around her, trying to calm the girl down, and Syrus had stopped his decent, turned back, and was bounding back up the stairs to where his fellow Ra's were sitting. Lia paused on the last step, taking in the sight before her.

Both Jaden and Atticus were at the edge of the platform. Atticus was yelling to his sister, who was still on her knees, head bowed and hand entangled in her hair. Chazz was standing a little bit away from her, looking at her with a pleased expression on his face. Lia shuddered at the sight of him. Further back from Atticus was Jaden, his arm slowly dropping from where it was at his waist, his eyes hidden from view as the lights above cast shadows on the upper half of his face. Lia peered at his curiously, watching a ball of distorted colours flit around his head. The light from the ceiling seemed to hit the ball, and was bent so that it fell at the completely opposite angle. Lia squinted, trying to ignore the burn at the back of her eyes. The ball shifted, landing on Jaden's shoulder, before turning slightly.

And Lia looked hastily away, rubbing her eyes frantically.

" Stupid...dusty air." She muttered, feeling her way down the last step. When her foot touched the floor, she pulled her hand away, blinking rapidly to keep her eyes from drying out. Absentmindedly, she touched the part of her tank top that fell by her collarbone, and breathed a sigh of relief when her fingers came back dry.

There was the sound of hurried footsteps by her ear, and the girl turned around. The entrance to the arena rose up behind her, but it was empty. She leaned over farther, trying to see down it, but there was no one there, only the distant echo of shoes hitting the floor an indication that there ever had been.

She hurried forward, just as Atticus scrambled up towards his sister.

" What happened?" She whispered as she reached Jaden. The boy just shook his head, bangs swishing back and forth.

" This won't end well."

" Huh?" Lia glanced at him, trying very hard not to look at the way the light darkened a little when it hit the swirling colours that rested on Jaden's shoulder.

The boy looked up at her, his eyes distant, and Lia had the same sensation that she'd had with Chazz; that she was being looked through, like he could see into her very soul. But unlike Chazz, Lia didn't feel the need to tremble and balk. Instead, she closed her eyes, and let him. Jaden was someone she couldn't bring herself to be afraid of. He'd seen her, the good, the bad, and the incredibly ugly and he'd neither turned tail and run, nor recoiled at the sight of her shrivelled heart. Jaden had made her strong, and he'd made her happy, and Lia was never going to be afraid of him or what he did. So she closed her eyes, let her mind go blank, and let him look right through her.

She missed the soft smile of approval he gave her, and by the time she opened her eyes again, he was staring at the platform, a heavy look of sadness in his eyes.

" Jaden, what do you mean?" She tried again, following his gaze. " What won't end well?"

" She's gone, Lia."Jaden whispered before moving forward, almost appearing to glide over the floor. Lia stared after him, puzzled.

" Wait, what?" She hurried to catch up. " Who's gone? What are you talking about?"

" Alexis!" Atticus' voice startled Lia out of her confused haze. The older boy was kneeling by the blonde, shaking her shoulder as he leaned her weight against him. Alexis was trying to pull away from him, her face still in shadow. " Lexi, talk to me!"

Chazz started to walk towards the siblings. Atticus pulled his sister closer, snarl on his face.

" Get away from her, you bastard!" Chazz stopped, looking at Atticus with something that might've been pity if it hadn't been for the look in Chazz's eyes.

" Atticus, I understand how you feel." Chazz said. The Obelisk boy's glare intensified.

" You're nothing but a monster! If you really think I'm gonna let you anywhere _near_ my sister after what you just did to her, you're even crazier than I thought!"

" I've done nothing wrong."

" Nothing wrong? _Nothing wrong_?" Atticus' voice rose in pitch. " You did something to my sister! You hurt her!"

" I had to."

" Had to? What kind of excuse is that?"

" It's not an excuse. It's the truth."

" Shut up! Just shut up!"

" I did what was necessary."

" Hurting my sister was _necessary_?"

" I had to show her the Light. In order to see it, the darkness needed to be burned out of her."

" _Burned_?"

" The darkness was coiled around her soul. I had to get rid of it. You can understand that, can't you?"

" She was screaming!"

" That wasn't my doing. It was the darkness that was holding on to her. I had to get rid of it, can't you see that? It was holding her captive, blinding her to the truth. I was trying to help my friend."

" If you _ever_ come near her again, you sick freak, I'll-"

" That's enough, Atticus." Alexis said, pulling away from her brother. She climbed shakily to her feet, swaying slightly. Atticus jumped up beside her, making to put a steadying arm around her, but Alexis stepped away.

" Lexi, are you okay? What did he do to you? Should you even be standing?"

" Atticus. I'm _fine_." She shook her head. " In fact, I'm better than fine."

" Really?" Her brother's whole face seemed to light up.

" Yeah. I've finally managed to see beyond the darkness." Alexis looked up at her brother, bright smile on her face. Her skin was paler than it had been during her duel, but her cheeks were flushed almost red, like all the blood on her face had been gathered to them. Her whole body shook with the effort to remain upright, and the hands she had clasped in front of her chest were trembling fiercely.

But what got Lia's attention and held it were her eyes.

Bright in a face that was getting whiter by the minute, they seemed to glow in the shadow cast by her bangs. They were staring at the group like none of them were really there, like she was just talking to ghosts. Her eyes never focused in on any of them, not Syrus, who was walking down the stairs with Abeni and Brier; not Lia, who stood, transfixed, staring up at her blonde friend; not Hassleberry, who was alternating between swinging his head around in confusion, seeking an answer, and growling low in his throat at Chazz; not Atticus, who was giving Alexis helpless looks, as though willing her to snap out of whatever trance she was under; not Jasmine and Mindy, who'd been sitting silent since Alexis' first outburst, the dark-haired girl striving to hide her tears while the redhead tried to wrap her mind around the proceedings; and certainly not Jaden, who was eyeing Alexis as though she might leap up and bite him at any moment. Her eyes bypassed them all, and as they stared straight ahead, not seeing anything, they burned just like Chazz had that day Lia had tried to talk to him.

The Academic bit back a sob she didn't know was fighting to get free of her throat, and involuntarily took a step back, shaking as she felt Alexis' gaze sweep over her. Her eyes screwed up shut again, and this time, a tremour of fear went down her spine.

" I have seen the Light."

Lia shook her head, willing the words to slide back in between Alexis' lips and vanish.

" Shut up." She whispered, looking at her feet. " Lexi, shut up."

" I can see the path that was laid out for me."

" Stop it." Lia muttered, taking another step back. Atticus was staring at Alexis in shock, his mouth hanging open.

" The Light has shown me the truth, and I am grateful."

" Stop talking."

" I'm ready to finally step out of the unending night-"

" Stop saying those things."

"- and into the bright dawn that is breaking through the –"

" _Shut up_!" Lia pressed her hands against her ears to try and drown out Alexis' words. The blonde kept going, completely oblivious to Lia's plight. The younger girl felt the stares of her friends, but she threw her head from side to side, trying to dislodge the image of Alexis' burning eyes. A warm hand fell on her shoulder, and Lia's eyes flew open.

Chazz smiled at her.

" I know you're scared. And that's alright. You're so lost right now, so disoriented and confused, that you have no choice but to be afraid. You don't understand what's going on because you've been trapped so long, but I promise you that you'll be free someday soon. The Society will come for you and it will save you, I swear. It will save everyone." He put his other hand on her other shoulder. " So don't tremble, Kitten. Very soon you'll be able to see."

" Let go of her."

Both parties, the shaking girl with her green tank top and black shirt rumbled and bunched, and the boy in his white jacket, turned to see the source of the command. Jaden was standing with his arms crossed, the closest thing to a scowl Jaden could have on his face. Lia felt Chazz's hands tighten on her shoulders, until the nails of his fingers were biting into her skin. She didn't even flinch, a strange numbness settling over her.

The world was spinning out of control. Chazz was being nice, Alexis was rambling like a lunatic, and no matter what Atticus had promised her, something very wrong was happening, and they were going to have to fight, very soon. They were going to have to fight like they had last year, and Lia knew that she was not alone in saying that those scars were not all closed up yet. There were no Beasts to take Syrus away, but Chazz was drifting farther and farther out of their grasp, and he was evidently determined to pull as many people out to sea with him as he could. Alexis was following after him, caught in the current. Zane's brooding but powerful presence was gone, replaced by some dark, hideous aura that made even Lia wish for the old Zane every time she saw him in a magazine or on TV. Jaden was scowling, Sheppard was gone, and she could feel the world tilting dangerously under her feet, until she couldn't even make out left from right anymore. The terror was catching up to her, and with the same violent force she'd used to deal with Syrus' disappearance, she shut down her senses and let herself drift into the comfortable emptiness of shock.

Chazz let her shoulders go.

" Of course." He nodded his head politely to Jaden. " I was only trying to reassure her. She seemed so upset."

Jaden didn't take his eyes off of him.

" Lia, you have English in ten minutes." Lia jumped slightly. " Hurry up."

It would've sounded like a dismissal coming from anyone else, but there was an undertone in his voice, something that reminded her of the way Atticus had sounded when he'd promised to look after her, that made her start to back away slowly from the scene. Alexis hopped down off the platform and walked to stand next to Chazz, and Lia dropped her eyes before she could lock gazes with either one of them. With her head still down, she turned, and walked briskly out the entrance way, the sounds of Chazz telling Alexis to get fitted for a white uniform fading.

As soon as she was far enough away, and certain that the corridor was clear, Lia broke into a run, heading for her classroom, determined to work so hard that the duel would be erased from her mind. She was so preoccupied with getting to her class that when she ran around the corner and nearly collided with someone going the other way, she merely dodged around them, muttered an apology, and took off again, not even noticing the stunned look on Aster Phoenix's face as he watched her go.

* * *

When he'd decided to take a walk around the island to clear his head, this was not what he'd expected to find.

Following the duel that Aster was not afraid to admit had become downright terrifying towards the end, the pro-star had quickly turned around and walked out of the duel arena, his thoughts whirring around like busy bees in his head. He'd come to the match with the sole purpose of finding out more information about the Society of Light Chazz had mentioned the night he'd confronted the younger boy. He'd tried calling his manager, but the number that had always worked before had apparently been disconnected, and Aster could find no time in his busy schedule to actually visit the man.

When he'd finally gotten around to it, there had been a note taped to the side door, his usual entrance, telling him that Sartorius was off talent scouting and Sarina was off on a small pilgrimage to the mountains of Japan, where she'd be staying until further notice. Why she'd chosen the same time as her brother to leave the country was a mystery to Aster. Still, he wasn't going to question Sarina on her decision. She'd fallen in love with the Shinto religion when she'd gone on exchange to Japan in her early college years, and she was wont to go back there, in full shrine maiden garb, and continue her training with the elements. Aster 'd just wished she'd called him first.

So that left out confronting the problem at the source. All he really had to go on was that strange behaviour of Chazz's and a name given to him by the clearly unbalanced boy. So, he'd figured the best course of action was to return to Duel Academy (where he was, technically, a student), and snoop around for clues.

And that was how he'd ended up at the duel between Chazz and Alexis Rhodes.

The actions had been shocking. The explosion of light that had rocked the stadium, the unbridled fury on Alexis' part, the way she'd surrendered just to be able to punch Chazz, had all made Aster a little uncomfortable. He was used to trash talking and empty threats, but to see such violence first hand was a little unsettling. He'd always had a weak stomach for it ever since his father had been murdered, and the look in Alexis' eyes had made him wonder if she would've been able to stop hitting the boy under her had the punch connected.

And then there had been the scream.

Aster shuddered as it echoed in his ears. It reminded him far too much of the blood-curdling scream Jaden had given at the end of their first official duel, right before he'd collapsed to the ground in much the same fashion as Alexis. Given what had happened to the girl afterwards, the American had to wonder what had been going on inside Jaden after he'd fallen down. He'd woken up the same, as far as Aster had heard, and had not been rambling on about Light and being able to see and a whole bunch of other nonsense that just didn't sit right with Aster at all.

And speaking of things that didn't sit right with him...

" Hey," he said tentatively, " you okay?"

Lia Shanner, huddled in a ball on the ground, looked up at him in surprise.

She was sitting with her knees bent so that they touched her chest. Both her arms were wrapped around her knees, and up until he'd spoken, her head had been resting on them. Her hair was a bit messy, strands tumbling out of her braid in thick, dark curls. Her tank top was rumbled, and one strap threatened to fall off of her shoulder.

But it was her face Aster was staring at.

Her eyes were rimmed with red and there were tear tracks streaking down her face. As she looked at him, a few more tears tumbled from her eyes. In the hand she held near her face, she was clutching a tissue. Her nose was a little red as well, and when she went to take a breath, probably to yell at him, she hiccupped, a wet, broken little sound that made Aster's gentleman instincts rise.

But what really had his attention was the patch of bright red skin on her right cheek.

" What..What happened?" He pointed lamely at her face. Lia immediately bristled and looked away with a huff.

"Nothing!" She snapped, and tried (and failed) to discreetly wipe her eyes.

" It doesn't look like nothing." Aster coaxed, taking a few steps forward. The girl whipped her head back to glare at him.

"Back off! I don't owe you any explanations!" Her eyes narrowed. " What are you even doing here? I thought I told you to not come back."

Aster hunkered down beside her, the corner of his mouth tugging up.

" Hate to break it to you, babe, but you don't get to decide who can set foot on the island and who can't."

Lia looked at him incredulously, almost surprised at the joke. She blinked, and Aster's face broke into a full-blown, albeit small, smile. Lia immediately ducked her head, breaking the eye contact.

" Go away." She whispered miserably, and Aster felt his smile drop.

" Okay, you're definitely not alright. You haven't tried to slap me once."

" I can still do that if you want me to so bad." She growled, looking at him through her bangs. Aster waved the suggestion off.

" Nah, violence isn't really my thing." He looked at her speculatively. " But a smile might be nice."

" What?" She balked, but there was a hint of laughter under her tone, and her head rose up all the way, so Aster mentally patted himself on the back.

" I told you, right? I can't stand to have a cute girl mad at me. So just smile, and I'll be gone."

" You're annoying." She said dismissively.

" And you're defensive." He leaned forward, squinting as he looked at her cheek. " Whoa, that looks like it hurt."

Lia's other cheek went the same colour, and she leaned back, putting a hand on Aster's chest to push him away.

" What do you think you're doing?" She hissed.

" Taking a look." He darted forward, and cupped her chin with his fingers. " So hold still, would ya?"

" Cut it out!"

" Easy." He murmured, tilting her head so that her cheek was more in the moonlight. It was starting to fade back to the pale colour the rest of her was, but the sight of the irritated skin still made him wince.

" Looks like someone smacked you." He said as he let go. She immediately turned her head to the side, giving him a view of her profile. " Who was it?"

" None of your business." He supposed he deserved that one.

" Isn't that a little cold?"

" Why do you care, anyway?" He flinched, because her tone was venom, and even though she wasn't looking at him, he could still feel her glare.

" Can't help it." He shrugged. " I can't resist a cute girl who needs help."

There was a rustling noise, and then Lia hopped to her feet, fists clenched at her sides. Aster jumped back at the sudden movement, looking up at her thunderous expression.

" What?"

She tossed her head.

" God, I can't stand guys like you!" Then she stormed down the path. But unlike the last time she'd walked away from him, Aster hadn't been thoroughly cowed, and he wasn't willing to give up without a fight.

" Hey, wait! Wait up!" He took off after her. " What do you mean, guys like me?"

" Guys who mercilessly tease girls like me." She said without looking at him, still walking as quickly as she could. Aster fell into place beside her.

" Girls like you?"

" Girls who aren't the prettiest or the most developed or whatever it is you guys are attracted to. You make fun of me because I don't look like a super model, and that amuses you or something. And while I'd normally be more than able to dish it out, I haven't had a good day, and I'd really appreciate it if you would leave. Me. Alone!"

Aster blinked, stopping as he tried to make sense of her words. Lia brushed past him, her face still flushed from her outburst and her shoulders still tense from her anger. She was almost past him when his arm shot out and grabbed her wrist, spinning her around to face him. Lia struggled, snarling at him in French, but Aster held tight. When she whipped her hand out to slap him, he caught it, and held it captive, hauling her closer.

" Easy, easy." He said slowly. " Calm down, I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm not gonna do anything. I just wanna know why you think I'm teasing you."

" Are you fucking stupid or something?" Lia spat in his face, the stress of the day finally getting to her. " You're making fun of me by calling me cute and being all flirty when we both know you don't mean anything by it! You're mocking me by acting like I'm someone you could actually be attracted to, and I know for a fact that guys like you don't even _look_ at girls like me so you can take your fucking pet names and shove them right up your ass because I'm not buying it! If Lexi were here she'd..." Lia trailed off. She went limp in Aster's grasp, slumping forward.

" She'd..." The girl tried again. " If Lexi were here, she'd definitely...she would...she'd..."

Her voice broke over the last word, and through the gap in her bangs, Aster saw two telltale glimmers run down her cheeks.

" This is about that duel, and what happened to Alexis Rhodes, isn't it?" He said, letting her go. Lia took a step back.

" Leave me alone." She pleaded miserably, but Aster ignored her. He reached out and grabbed her hand, and then started walking down the path. Lia's head shot up, and though she gave him a disbelieving look, Aster noticed she fell in step beside him.

" What are you doing?"

" I can't leave a cute girl like you alone in the woods at night. That'd go against everything I was taught." He held up his hand for silence when her face went indignant and she opened her mouth. " And I'm not trying to tease you. Do you look in a mirror often? You're seriously cute, and anyone who tells you otherwise should have their vision checked. Now, let's hurry up and find your friends, since you clearly aren't going to let me comfort you."

And he tugged her in the direction of Duel Academy, completely missing the way her face lit up in a blush as he called her cute.

* * *

So, I have some very happy news! Some wonderful person nominated me for the Fanfiction Facebook's Fanpage most beloved author of the month for October! I feel so honoured! I'm not expecting to win, but dear god, just being considered for a nominations means so much to me! I don't know if the person who nominated me is reading this, but if you are, I really, really, want to thank you for that! You made me feel so wonderful! Thank you so, so, SO much!

Wow, now my only other goal is to get a mention on TVTropes.

Anywho, this is the aftermath of the Chazz vs Alexis duel, which, as we all know from last week, ended rather badly. ( And yes, I am a HORRIBLe person for writing that. And that's not even as bad as it's gonna get, trust me.) Just what am I saying about Lia and Alexis' friendship? Well, put it this way: Once again, it's gotta get worse before it gets better.

And to all the people who hate Aster (there are a more than I expected), his sympathetic character analysis begins now, because frankly, yeah, he's a dick, but he's got a good reason, and in this story, that reason is getting severely fleshed out. You may not like Aster, and maybe you still won't like him by the end of it, but I am determined that you will have at least a grudging respect for my version of him. The guy's been through a lot, give him a break.

That's about it. Let me know if you liked it, okay?

See you all next week for the Lexi confrontation.

MoS


	22. Breaking Stride

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Warnings: Prepare to feel bad for Lia.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX

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* * *

_

**Year Two: Descending Light**

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* * *

_

As it turned out, Jaden was just finishing up a duel with yet another member of the Society when Aster and Lia had managed to find their way into the observatory. It had taken almost an hour to hunt down the whereabouts of Jaden and his crew. It was only after they'd run into a rather stressed out Bastian, who'd told them where Jaden was, but declined to go with them on the grounds that he'd had a major break-

through with his deck, and had a massive amount of formulas to write, that they'd figured out where they should go.

Watching the boy below get swallowed up by an orb of light, only to have it dissipate to reveal the boy, now with snow-white hair and a crazed grin on his face, shouting about Sartorius and calling him Master, was just a little disturbing. Aster curled his lip at the display, and glanced over to where the rest of the group was standing. Chazz and Alexis were at the forefront. The girl was now dressed in a variation of the top she'd been wearing during the duel, her dark jeans replaced with a white skirt. Her eyes were blanker than Chazz's, and she was leaning on the railing, watching the change appear in the boy and Chazz say something about rebirth, with an air of boredom and contempt.

Aster heard Lia let out a small whimper, and when he glanced at her, he saw that she too, was looking at Alexis. He glanced at her now normal coloured cheek, and his eyes narrowed.

" What are you doing here?"

Aster turned back towards the group, coming face to face with the girl herself. Alexis had crossed the space to stand right in front of him, but her gaze was fixed on Lia, who had dropped her head.

" I just..." She whispered, all the fight gone out of her. " I was...Lex, I was..."

" We were looking for Jaden, is that a crime?" Aster cut in, shifting so that he was half blocking a very downtrodden Lia. Something burned inside him at the thought. He blamed it on Sarina, and her long lectures about being good to the female half of the species and never trying to hurt them, but not being chauvinistic and stifling them, and helping them when they needed it without taking away their independence. He'd had those ideals drilled into him almost as soon as he'd met the woman, and he had a feeling she'd be proud if she could've seen him in that instant.

"This was a private function. You were not invited." Alexis continued, glaring at them.

Lia shuffled uncomfortably.

" The duel's over now, so I don't think your rules apply anymore." Aster argued back.

" That doesn't mean you can just come barging in here without an invitation when the Society is congregating. We won't tolerate it."

"This is a public place, honey."

" We reserved it for the duel."

" Duel's over."

" You came in at the very end. The duel was still technically going when you showed up."

" Jeez, take it easy. We just wanted to find Jaden. Lia needs to talk to him." He stepped aside, indicating the girl. Lia looked up, eyes wide, and Alexis' previously blank face was twisted with a cruel smirk.

" Oh, did she now?"

" Lexi..." Lia whispered.

" What, you need to go cry to Jaden to make yourself feel wanted?"

Aster's jaw dropped at the tone the older girl took, Lia closed her eyes, wincing, and took a step backwards.

" Lexi, stop it."

" And I told you to stop calling me that. I only let my friends call me that, and you sure as hell are not my friend."

" Wait." Aster looked between the two girls. " What?"

" Oh, she didn't tell you?" Alexis flipped a lock of blonde hair over her shoulder. " I threw her out of the White Dorm a few hours ago. She kept trying to talk to me, like she thought she was important enough to come and see me." She let out a mocking bark of laughter.

" Lexi. Stop it." Lia said, not looking at her.

" I'll say it one more time, you stupid bitch: Stop calling me that. I want nothing to do with a social reject like you. You honestly thought we were friends? That I'd ever lower myself to associate with the likes of you? You're even more pathetic than I thought. The Light has shown me the truth. Weak losers like you are of no use to me."

" Alexis, stop it!" Lia yelled suddenly, forcing the other girl to step back in surprise. Down below, her shout caught the attention of Jaden and the two Ra's he was with. Lia walked forward until she was face to face with Alexis.

" Stop saying those horrible things! Stop talking like you don't care about me because I know you do! You're my best friend Alexis, and this isn't like you at all!" She punctuated her words with well-timed jabs at Alexis' ample chest. " You're not this mean and you're not acting like yourself and you would never, ever hurt me being saying things like that. You're my friend and I know you don't mean any of those things!"

" Like Hell I don't!" She snarled back. " You make me sick!"

" No I don't."

" I can't stand to be around you!"

" I know you don't mean that."

" I've hated you ever since the first time I laid eyes on you."

" That's a lie and you know it!" There were tears in Lia's eyes now. " The first time you ever saw me I told Jaden that I was gonna make sure he stayed awake in class and you laughed and said you liked me! You protected me from Jasmine when she tried to take my camera and you and I made a bet about what was in the basement of the Abandoned Dorm! We've been friends ever since!" Lia reached out and gently touched Alexis' arm. " Wake up, please Lexi."

" Don't touch me!" Alexis slapped her hand away. " I've been blinded all this time by the darkness. It kept the truth hidden from me. But not, thanks to the Light, I can see clearly. And I know that I would never befriend someone as weak and pathetic as you! This is the true me, the one who's been bound and lost in the dark for so long, and I want nothing to do with you!"

" The truth?" Lia snapped, her eyes shining with tears. " You think this shit is the truth? You think disregarding your friends and ignoring your dreams and forsaking every ideal you've ever had is the truth? You think the way you are now is the real you? This cold-hearted, empty bitch? No way!" Lia shook her head violently. " The Alexis Rhodes I know is warm and kind and would never let anyone tell her how to live her life. She made her own path and didn't take even half the crap you are right now! If this is what the Light does to you, then I'll gladly live the rest of my life in the dark! This Light is a bunch of bullshit and it can go to Hell for all I care!"

" How dare you?" Alexis hissed through gritted teeth. She yanked her hand back for a slap. Aster pushed off the wall he'd been leaning on. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Jaden curse and start bounding over towards them, the two Ra students in tow. Lia stood, waiting for the blow, her eyes staring right into Alexis', as if daring her to disagreed.

Chazz reached over and calmly grabbed Alexis' arm, pulling it down and yanking her back.

" Alexis, control your temper."

" Did you hear what that bitch said about the Light?" She railed, pointing at Lia. Chazz sighed.

" She's still trapped, Alexis. She doesn't know any better. Allowances must be made for those who are still lost." He nodded towards Lia. " She just too blinded right now to understand, but she will, as soon as she is shown the Light."

Alexis slumped grudgingly, glaring at Lia through her bangs.

" I still say she's too lost to be saved."

" No one is too lost." Chazz patted the blonde on her shoulder, before moving over to the group just as Jaden came to a halt behind the brunette. " I'm sorry for all that unpleasantness. Alexis is still adjusting. Her animosity will pass, I promise."

Lia looked at him warily, a distrust in her eyes that didn't seem to bother Chazz in the least.

" Alright?" He prompted, smiling. Lia stepped out of touching range.

" Get away from me." She whispered, her gaze fixed on the dark-haired boy as though he were a dangerous, cornered, wild animal. From her perspective, Aster supposed he could be.

Chazz nodded.

" You'll understand very soon." He looked over her shoulder. " And you will too, Jaden."

The boy in question met his former dorm mate's eyes levelly. Chazz nodded once, smiled, and then gestured for the rest of the Society to follow him.

" Goodnight." He said courteously as he swept by, and then he and the others were gone, Alexis favouring Lia with one last glare between she walked out of the room. In the dead silence that followed, both Ra's breathed a sigh of relief.

" What was that about?" The smaller on asked, looking at the door the Society members had exited.

" Who knows?" The other one answered, shrugging his dark, muscled shoulders.

Jaden walked forward until he was directly behind Lia, and put a hand on her shoulder.

" Lia?" He asked, jostling a little when she didn't respond. " Koneko-chan?"

At the sound of her nickname, Lia spun around, tears streaming down her face, and threw herself at Jaden, who caught her and held her against his chest, stroking her back soothingly. Perhaps out of respect, Aster looked away.

" She...She said such horrible things." Lia sobbed into the crook of Jaden's neck. " She called me all kinds of names and said we weren't friends and she wouldn't even let me talk! She just kept going on about the l-light and how it made her see things and...and...and when I told her to st-stop, she...she hit me!" Lia buried her head deeper.

" Sshh..." Jaden murmured. The shorter Ra came up and patted Lia's leg encouragingly.

" Je ne comprends pas." Lia whispered. " Je ne comprendrai jamais."

" You wanna sleep in our dorm tonight?" The small Ra asked. Lia nodded her head, and Aster watched it bob up and down against Jaden's chin. The Slifer put his hands on her shoulder and pushed her back gently, smiling at her tear-stained face.

" Go with Sy, Lia, he'll take care of you. We'll sneak into the kitchen and make some fondue. Miss Hibiki won't mind."

Lia nodded, tears dripping off the end of her nose as she did. Jaden reached and wiped them away.

" Go on." He encouraged. Lia turned, and the small Ra threaded his fingers through hers and tugged, pulling her towards the exit. When her eyes caught Aster's, who was watching her leave, she looked down at her dragging feet, biting her lower lip.

" Merci." She muttered, looking up at him for a moment before hurrying out the door with the smaller Ra, the bigger one darting after them, yelling about fondue. Aster blinked, startled by her gratitude, before turning to look at Jaden.

"Take care of her, okay? She looked like she'd had a rough night when I found her, and this little episode was no walk in the park."

" Thanks."

Aster raised a brow.

" For what?"

Jaden ran a hand through his hair.

" For looking after her. For bringing her here."

Aster nodded, the events of the night, especially the images of what had happened to Jaden's opponent, spinning around in his head and making him dizzy. There was a lull in the conversation, and Aster was ready to say goodnight and head back to his boat when Jaden broke it.

" I know it doesn't seem like it...and most of the time, we all forget, but...Lia's still the youngest member of the group, and I worry about her. We all worry about her. She's smart, but she can be really stupid if the situation calls for it. I shoulda known she'd go and try to talk to Lex after class. I shoulda said something to try and stop her." He shrugged his shoulder, grinning sheepishly. " I guess want I wanna say is, thanks for taking care of Lia. She means a lot to us. To all of us. Even Lex." He sighed. " Lex loves her a lot. And Lia loves her. I can't imagine how much this must've hurt her."

"She tough." Aster shrugged. " Far as I can tell, anyway. She'll pull through."

" Yeah." Jaden muttered absentmindedly. " Still, I worry. I mean, she's a year younger than the rest of us, and-"

" Wait, she'd fifteen?" Aster blinked.

" Yeah, just in August."

" She's my age?"

Jaden laughed.

" What?" Aster asked, feeling left out of the joke. Jaden shook his head.

" You'd be surprised how many people have that reaction when they find out Lia's a year younger. They act like they can't believe it."

" Well, she doesn't exactly come off as being younger. I thought she was your age, not mine."

" Nope. She was fourteen last year. And she still got better grades than me."

" So she skipped a grade?"

" Yeah. Listen," Jaden pushed of the railing he started to lean on. " I'd better get going. The others will have started the fondue and if I don't hurry, it'll all be gone before I get there."

" Yeah, I'd get a move on if I were you." Aster nodded to him, starting towards the door.

" You're welcome to join us."

Aster shook his head.

" No thanks. I mean, don't me wrong, you guys are nice and all, but we're not friends, and I didn't come here to make any."

" Why did you come?"

" To find out about this Society of Light."

" It's starting to be a real pain in the ass, lemme tell you."

" When did it start?"

" No idea. I was off finding myself when Chazz apparently went crazy."

" You mean in space?"

" Laugh all you want; I know what happened and I'm sticking to my story."

" Whatever, dude."

" Listen, let's make a deal: If either of us figures out what's going on here, we tell the other."

" Now why would I want to do that?"

" Two heads are better than one. Plus, we've got Bastian, and he's a genius. He'll probably be able to come up with an answer to all this."

" Hate to break it to you, but I've already gotten two Ph.D's. Your genius has got nothing on me."

" For real? What school did you go to? In what subjects? How old were you?"

" What is this, twenty questions?"

" C'mon, you can't just throw out a statement like that and leave it on such a cliff-hanger. That's cruel."

" Life's cruel."

" That's a pessimistic view."

" After the life I've had, it's to be expected."

" ...Yeah, right, sorry."

" Don't be. I can't stand other people's pity."

" Oh boy. You must be so fun to have a parties."

" Are you kidding? I'm great at parties. People love me. It's called having an outer character."

" Like how you act all polite, but are actually a jerk?"

" That was low."

" So was claiming I copied your deck."

" You did."

" I've had those cards for years. My friends got them for me when I was a kid."

" Alright, alright, I'm sorry. I take it back."

" You dissed me on international television."

" I didn't name you."

" The whole school knew who you were talking about."

" Like any teenager watches the news."

" Crowler cancelled classes and made it mandatory to watch the interview."

" Oh goodie, another deluded fan boy. Just what I need."

" Aster."

" Alright, fine, I'll try to do some damage control."

" That's all I wanted."

" You're a bit bipolar, you know that? You go from happy-go-lucky to scary serious to calm and cool in the blink of an eye. It's a little unnerving."

" You should see me on a bad day."

" You mean I haven't yet?"

" Trust me. You haven't seen anything yet."

" That worries me more than words can adequately describe."

" You sound like Lia whenever I say stuff like that."

" Is that a good thing?"

" It's just an observation."

" Sure it is. Well, there's your stop up ahead. Later."

" You sure you don't wanna come over? There'll be melted cheese."

" Tempting as that sounds, I'm over my good Samaritan quota for the month, and any more time spent with you guys might make me ill. You're all just so chipper."

" Suit yourself. Where are you headed anyway, if you don't mind my asking."

" My boat. It's parked right down there."

" Have fun."

" You too. Enjoy the melted cheese."

" I'll save some for you then?"

" No thank you. No melted cheese for me. I can barely stand it unmelted."

" Night Aster." Jaden gave him a little wave and raced off for the Red Dorm, smiling as he went. Aster shook his head at the older boy, smiling without realizing it. He resolved to go down to his boat, make himself some dinner and a nice cup of coffee for later, and then set about sorting out the business with the Society of Light, and how Sartorius was related to it.

That was the plan anyway.

But several hours later, as he helped Jaden back to his dorm after the duel with Sartorius' lawyer in the cave (and he had to use his student map to find his way back to the Red Dorm. Of course, as soon as he'd whipped it out, Jaden had started rattling off questions about where he'd gotten it, and how it was that everyone except Jaden always managed to get their hands on a campus map)m Aster admitted that things were not going to go according to plan; at least, not that night.

" Can't believe you trip over a rock and twisted you ankle." He muttered darkly and he and Hassleberry helped Jaden up the stairs.

" It's probably not as bad as ya think, Sarge." The dark-skinned boy said brightly. " Ya'll be just fahne in the mornin'."

Syrus gave a sigh of relief as he opened the door..

" Thank god. Now be quiet, because-"

" Guys? C'est la midi de la nuit."

Jaden smiled at the sleepy eyed Lia.

" Me wo tojiru nemuru nasai."

Lia blinked.

" 'Kay."

And she lay back down on the lowest bunk, sound asleep.

The four boys stood still, watching her for a moment, before both Hassleberry and Syrus darted back down the stairs.

" I'm sleeping in Chazz's addition!"

" Rahght behahnd ya, partner!"

Jaden gave Lia one last fond smile before turning to Aster.

" I forgot Lia was sleeping over. You mind helping me back down the stairs?"

* * *

Sorry about the late update, I had homework. In fact, I still have homework. I'm off to write summaries about the Nuer forms of address! Woo-hoo!

Lia said: I don't understand. I will never understand.

Jaden said something to the effect of: Close your eyes and go to sleep.

See you all next week!

MoS

P.S. Yeah, I know the top of the page looks kinda weird, what with the italics and all. I don't give a crap. I have two summaries to write, a topic to pick and biblio to write, and then Latin to translate. The site and it's screwed up editing tool can go die for all I care. Gah, I am SO glad I have a dance tomorrow, or else I'd lose it!


	23. Challenging Encounter

Warnings: Cyber Tutu. It's not a pretty sight.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

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**Year Two:Descending Light**

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" You must understand free will is a lie. All things are controlled by Destiny."

" I'll believe it when I see it, partner."

Lia scrunched up her nose, willing herself to fall back into the beckoning weightlessness of sleep. She was on the very fringes of wakefulness, her senses still basically dead to the world. The exchange she'd just heard had come as though she was hearing them over a great distance. They were echoing around in her head, trying to rouse her, but her dreams were still at the forefront of her mind, and she was reluctant to pull herself out of them. She sank her head deeper down into the pillow, the world swirling and fading into incomprehensible colours before her still closed eyes.

She snuggled into the pillow, only minorly aware of the cool smoothness that rubbed against her cheek. The colours in front of her eyes shifted into solid shapes._ A tower was gleaming in the distance, shining as the sunlight was reflected off of it, the moat around it lapping at the marble. Lia frowned in her sleep, trying to pull back. She willed the image to change, aware only of the fact that the gleaming structure upset her, and she wanted it gone. The tower started to sway, and Lia wonder if it was going to fall, and come toppling down in a hundred thousand pieces. She remembered something about a card and her cousins showing her different ways to arrange them, and she looked up at the sky. There were clouds rolling in on the horizon, blocking out the sun. Lia wondered if it was going to thunder. The sky looked dark enough for it._

_She looked down at her feet and was surprised to see that she was standing on the edge of a cliff, the wind whipping up clouds of dust at her feet. Only it wasn't dust at all. It was sand, and when she turned around, she saw that she was on the very edge of a desert, under a forlorn, dark green sky. She turned back to look at the tower, gulping as she took in the storm clouds that were rolling in. They seemed even darker than black, and when she looked under them, she saw that they were being reflected by the ocean._

_Her eyes widened, and she took a step away from the cliff. The image of the clouds on the smooth water's surface was distorted by a ripple that started in the very center. It spread out, growing larger and larger, waves following its path until Lia realized it was a huge whirlpool, spinning faster and faster. _

_She took another step back._

_The low roar of thunder met her ears, the clouds lighting along their bottoms in sheet lightening. Lia took a deep breath, trying to force herself to walk backwards. The clouds rumbled again, louder this time, and a bolt of white lightening shot down just behind her. Lia let out a shriek and darted forward, her hands pressed to her ears._

" _What is this?" She called, the wind howling around her. _

_She turned around to look at the tower again, it's brilliance not dimmed by the lack of sunlight in the sky. Instead, it seemed to be brighter, stark white against the black sky. She watched a forked tongue of lightening strike at the tower, and her mind flashed to the image of the tarot card her cousin had shown her, a tower hit by lightening, with citizens who were on fire leaping from the top, screaming._

_The lightening split the sky, and Lia was struck by how white it was. It even made the tower look dark in comparison._

_No, that wasn't right. _

_The lightening was white, but the tower wasn't white at all. It was silver._

_And, she looked harder, squinting her eyes, it didn't really look like any tower she'd ever seen. She couldn't make you bricks and stones that should've made up the body. She couldn't see a roof at the top. She couldn't even find a tiny slit of a window where an arrow might be fired out of, or a princess might sit and watch the world outside, hoping to catch sight of someone who would save her. It was a very slender tower too, incredibly smooth, and Lia frowned as she tried to make out more distinct features._

_Without warning, the lightning struck again. The tower sizzled with energy, and Lia felt her jaw unhinge as she realized that it wasn't a tower at all, but a pillar of silver light blazing a path up to the sky. _

_She was so transfixed by the tower, she failed to hear the ringing of power around her until the telltale buzz of electricity had her looking up, straight into an on-coming lightning bolt._

Lia swung her head to the side, smothering a scream with her pillow. She lay there for a moment or two, just panting, feeling the beads of cold sweat run off her face. The T-shirt she'd worn to bed the night before was plastered to her back, her loose pajama pants sticking uncomfortably to the backs of her knees. She breathed one more deep breath, and then forced herself to sit up gingerly, eying the room as though it might suddenly shift and turn into the wind-swept cliff overlooking the turbulent ocean once more. She swung her legs off the bed, digging her toes into the soft carpeting to assure herself that it was real, before firmly planting them and standing.

Her legs almost buckled beneath her, but she took a wobbly step forward anyway, meandering over to the dresser. She rested her hands against it, head bowed, and began to give herself a pep talk.

" Just a dream, cherié, and Lord knows you've had plenty of those before. It wasn't real, and it can't hurt you anymore, so stop acting so stupid and hop in the shower."

Nodding to herself, she bent down to get the overnight bag that had served her since Thursday, when she'd decided to spend the rest of the week in the Red Dorm. She'd fallen asleep after the fondue and an hour of listening (with increasing drowsiness) to the boys talk about their cards. They had been called away for a duel just shy of nine o'clock, and Lia had spent all of ten minutes trying to wait up for them before she'd come to the conclusion that she wasn't going to make it to twenty past, let alone half the night. So she'd locked the door, put on her pajamas, and collapsed onto the lowest bunk, asleep almost as soon as her head had hit the pillow. She'd apparently briefly woken up when the others had come back, but she couldn't remember it. The next morning she'd come down to find she'd put the boys out of their room, given that none of them were okay with sleeping in the same room as a single, solitary girl.

They'd moved her into the room Alexis had been using, and Lia had tried very hard to sound grateful, and not choked up. She'd been sleeping there for three nights.

Lia sighed as she pulled out some cloths and shower shoes, heading for the bathroom.

" I really need to see if I can get those sleeping pills again." She muttered as the door swung shut.

Half an hour later, she emerged in the cloud of steam that billowed out of the bathroom, hair dripping, face flushed from the steam, her usual outfit in place and all traces of her nightmare washed away.

With a refreshed sigh, she wandered out the door to see if she could scrounge up some breakfast.

And squeaked (actually s_queaked_) as an explosion ripped through the air and a large cloud of dust was sent flying up in front of her. She brought her arms up to cover her face, coughing as some of the dust went into her throat.

" Diable?" She muttered when she could talk again.

Before her, face down on the ground, was Hassleberry, figures shimmering into nonexistence around him. If that wasn't disturbing enough, a tall figure was making its way through the cloud towards her fellow Ra. Lia's heart leapt into her throat, and when the dust cleared and she could make out the features of the figure, she understood why.

Before her was the undoubtedly c_reepiest_ man she'd ever seen in her life. He was tall, with long dark blue hair that fell to the small of his back, fanning out behind him in the breeze coming off the ocean. A tuft of white stuck up at his forehead, and Lia twitched as she realized it was just _more_ of his bizarre hair. He was frighteningly pale, with wicked looking purple eyes that held a look too much like Chazz and Alexis' for it to bode well. When he smiled, two point canines peeked out from under his upper lip. He was wearing a variation of the Obelisk Blue uniform, the tails of his coat sweeping out behind him like Atticus.

Lia gulped audibly.

There was something incredibly wrong with the man. It was in the way he stood, the way he strode confidently towards the downed Hassleberry. It was in the wide smile that stretched his face to almost ridiculous proportions, his teeth unnaturally sharp, like little daggers. It was most especially in his eyes, huge and purple, the whites no so much white as they were a sickly, pale yellow colour. They were burning so bright she swore she could see a flame in each of them. Something about the man set her on edge. Every self preservation instinct she had was ringing off alarms in her head, telling her to run as fast as she could in the opposite direction. She wanted to dart back into the safety of the dorm and lock the door, and then maybe barricade it for good measure. Something about him just screamed _wrong_ so loudly Lia was surprised that the word wasn't echoing.

She shuddered, looking away before he could notice her, and instead looked down Hassleberry. The boy was slowly coming to, crawling back until could sit up. He was muttering, and leaned heavily on the hand where his duel disk rested in order to stay upright. He looked very disoriented, and Lia leaned down next to him, steadying him with her arm.

" Bonjour, 'Assleberry." She said, her accent slipping in without her noticing. The boy in question looked over his shoulder at her, grinning.

" Mornin' Miss Lia! How'd ya sleep last naghght?"

" Just fine." She avoided looking up. " What's going on?"

Hassleberry shrugged.

"Nuthin'. Just a good, ol' fashioned duel."

" Of course." Lia blew a pesky bang out of her face. Hassleberry just grinned at her.

" C'mon now Ma'am, it ain't all bad. Even you tend to enjoy yourself more often 'en not."

Lia looked away, blushing.

" Shut up."

" Ya see? There's mah proof."

" You're lucky I like you so much."

" I'm well aware of that, Miss Lia."

" Oh, just be quiet and get up." She got on her feet, and was making to haul him up as well, when a shadow fell across the two. Unbidden, her eyes snapped up, and she found herself looking at the man once again. Shivers erupted down her back, and she could only be grateful that his entire attention was on Hassleberry and not her.

" This was meant to be, I assure you." He said in a soothing voice, and Lia had the image of a snake leaning out of a tree, cajoling words tumbling off its forked tongue. " Every decision you have ever made, every path you have followed, it has all led you to this very moment, when the Light finally opens your eyes to the truth."

" Back off!" Jaden snarled from farther down the path. Lia turned her head towards him, surprised to see both Syrus and Miss Dorothy with him, both of whom were holding bags stuffed to the bursting with little packages of candy. A little further back from the group, watching the goings-on with a suspicious scowl, was Aster Phoenix. Lia averted her eyes, her face colouring as she remembered the outburst she'd given the last time they'd met.

Suddenly, the man before her whipped his head back to glare at her friends, and a strange glow came over him. She was unpleasantly reminded of the aura that had been around Chazz seconds before that flash of light that had had everyone in a panic and Alexis in a fury, or the way his hand had been alight right before he'd struck Alexis and she'd gone crazy too. A feeling of warmth washed over her, too hot to be comforting, and her breath caught in her throat. Everything around the man swam sharply into focus, from the buttons on his flowing coat to the nearly invisible streaks of white in his blue hair. She tried to breathe, and choked as the air came in charged and boiling. Her hand flew to her burning throat. She strived hard not to cough, not to cry out, not to do anything that would call that man's attention onto her. Off in the distance, Jaden and Syrus yelled, and Dorothy gave a cry of alarm, but all Lia could see was the man outlined in the white aura.

And then, just as suddenly as it had come on, the aura had vanished, and the man was grinning his toothy grin at Hassleberry again.

" You see? This is your destiny, to walk by my side in the Light."

Lia's heart was beating like a drum in her chest but at his words, the thundering in her ears stilled, and the organ leapt into her throat so fast that she actually felt it become lodged in the back of it.

" Nahce duel, soldier." Hassleberry muttered as he looked up at the man. " Best tactics I've seen in awhahle."

" Hassleberry, no!" Syrus called plaintively. " Don't tell me he got to you!"

" What're you talkin' about Trusedale? I follow no orders but mah own."

Lia sneeked a peek at the man. He was staring down at Hassleberry with shock.

" Impossible!" He whispered. " No one can resist the Light! No one!"

" I ain't your average person." Hassleberry touched his left leg affectionately. " I got a spirit in me that no lahght is ever gunna overcome, so y'all maghght as well pack your bags and skeedaddle, 'cuz there ain't no way I'm joinin' your little club." He waved his hand in a shooing motion at the man. " Go on, get!"

" How can you resist it? The Light is all-powerful!" The man argued. Lia tried to glare at him, but her eyes just couldn't seem to stay on him, and her gaze dropped to the ground

" I told ya, rahght? Those dahnos ain't extinct at all. They're rahght here." He thumped his chest. " Insahde me."

" Your tendency to speak in riddles is starting to annoy me, young man." Lia flinched at the tone, unsure as to why. (She heard much worse directed at her. She used much worse on other people. Why should one man's angry voice make her tremble like a five-year-old during a big storm?)

Hassleberry laughed.

" It ain't a riddle. It's the truth. My leg got hurt pretty bad in a rockslide a few year back, and since it was a rush operation, the doctors used a fragment of the dahnosaur bone I'd found earlier to replace the part that was damaged." The boy smirked, his eyes shifting until they were the bright green that Lia understood now signified his tapping into the DNA the bone fragment had obviously given him. " I've got that dahno insahde o' me, and no way, no how, am I lettin' mahself get dragged into your game, Sartorius!"

Lia jumped.

' This guys is...Sartorius?' She looked at him through her bangs. ' This is the one in charge of the Society of Light?'

This was the man who had orchestrated everything that had gone wrong with their friends in the past three months? This was the man who'd somehow gotten to Chazz, who'd then gotten to Alexis, and started this whole chain of dominos falling? This was the man who was responsible for the horrible, burning look in the eyes of over half the student population?

Lia shook. The master planner was standing right in front of her in broad daylight, and it made her stomach turn. As angry as she was about the Society of Light, as hurt as she was by the dismissals and reneging of friendships that seemed to swiftly follow the 'seeing' of the 'Light', as much as she would have dearly loved to avenge her friends right there on the spot, something inside her threw back its head and screamed, clawing frantically at her mind to make her listen. This man, this tall, pale, frightening man, was dangerous beyond imagination. There was something warped inside of him, something that was not going to hold back if she challenged him, and Lia knew in an instant that if came down to him or her in such a fight, she stood no chance. She was just an Academic who'd accidentally stumbled into a world she'd never paid attention to before. Had Jaden not sat next to her on that first day, if he hadn't tried to make friends, if she hadn't forced him to stay awake and do his work, if she had never glanced his way...

She'd just be another faceless, useless Academic. Whatever knowledge she'd gleaned from watching her friends duel, whatever power she'd managed to siphon off by being in proximity to some of the greatest Duelists the school had to offer, it was nothing when compared to the strength this cult leader had at his fingertips, and something in Lia knew it. Some primal, ancient part of her knew it, and she shrunk away from his form, scared to incur his wrath.

" Interesting." Sartorius muttered, turning away. Lia finally managed to look at him, watching his back fade away into the distance, and shivered, despite the warmth of the day.

Despite the pleasant warmth that had settled just below her collarbone, curling contently at the mark that sat there.

* * *

Jaden grinned triumphantly.

Or at least, he tried to.

It was a rather hard thing to do when he was staring down at a bedridden Duel Spirit, whose body was still covered with burns and scars. Cyber Tutu stared listlessly up at the ceiling from her place on the top bunk. Jaden was standing on the ladder, arms folded under his chin to rest on the mattress.

Tutu was swathed in bandages Winged Kuriboh had managed to scrounge up from somewhere. It had been rough, that first night, with Tutu wrapped up in a silver light that Jaden was afraid to touch, lest it disappear. He'd had only a vague idea of where it had come from, and he'd found there was no desire in him to tempt fate by trying to exert some level of control over it. He'd left Tutu lying on the top bunk, letting Winged Kuriboh, Flare Scarab, and Burstinatrix look after her with a surprising amount of tenderness.

' _She's young_.' Burst had explained later, carefully arranging the still unconscious girl so that she wouldn't get tangled in the sheets. ' _She's really just a kid. Nobody's happy about what happened, and we all want to look after her. Avion is in a state, let me tell you. She's like a kid sister to most of us_.'

With that explanation in mind, Jaden had let the Duel Monsters look after their own, interfering only when he figured out Lia was going to be in close proximity to the silver light, and that was a worse temptation of fate than trying to control said light. Quick as a flash, his monsters had moved the injured ballerina into one of the empty rooms, which was where Jaden was standing currently.

" We're going to Domino City after Christmas Break." He said softly. " I got to choose the trip because I won against this Rose girl."

Cyber Tutu didn't respond.

" It's Yugi's hometown. I thought it might make a cool trip as well as an educational one, you know?"

When the monster spirit was silent again, Jaden unfolded one arm and reached out to touch her.

" Hey, you okay?"

Tut flinched and shuffled away from his hand, turning on her side so that her back faced him. Jaden watched her, sad frown on his face. He pushed his arms off the bed and carefully climbed down the ladder, sighing to himself.

' _She's just depressed_.' Burstinatrix insisted.

' _Her partner is lost to the burning. It's only natural that she feels this way._' Neos' voice chimed in.

" I just wish I could help her, you know?" Jaden muttered to the thin air around him. He glanced back up at the bunk where the ballerina lay. " She's so sad and I can't do a thing about it."

' _She is very young, and she loves her partner deeply_.' Neos said. ' _Winged Kuriboh would behave no differently if it were you who was lost_.'

The furball in questioned shimmered into being at his side, rubbing its fuzzy body against his cheek, cooing. Jaden reached up and ran his fingers through the monster's fur.

" I know." He muttered. " It's just hard, seeing her like this."

' _It's hard for us too. She's usually so bright and happy._' Avion chimed in, and Jaden leaned against the wall, eying the ceiling in much the same manner as Cyber Tutu had been.

" Any ideas about how to fix this?"

' _We could try talking to Alexis Rhodes_.' Avion suggested. Burstinatrix snorted.

' _Yeah, because we all saw how well it went when Lia Shanner tried that_.'

' _If Jaden was the one doing it..._' The green hero tried to reason.

' _It would end with her challenging him to a duel or dismissing him completely, most likely the former_.' Neos heaved a sigh. ' _She is under the control of the Light of Destruction. It will take a lot more than mere words to save her_.'

' _We could just beat the crap out of everybody. Put them in the hospital. Stop them from wreaking havoc_.' Burstinatrix suggested. Then she noticed the way all the other monsters were looking at her. ' _What?_'

Avion shook his head.

' _You are so hot-headed sometimes._'

' _What's that supposed to mean?_'

' _That you rush in without thinking things through. You need to take a step back and try to reason with people before flying off the handle. There are times when force is not the answer._'

' _And then there are times when force is most __**definitely **__the answer!_'

' _This is not one of those times, Burst_.'

' _Can you look me in the eye and tell me that those people don't deserve it for what they've done to not only our fellow monsters, but Jaden's friends as well?_'

' _I'm not saying that they don't deserve. I'm just saying that hitting them wouldn't do us any good. They'd just get out of the hospital more pissed off than ever._'

' _Who knows? The hits might knock some sense back into them._'

' _Uzumaki Therapy isn't going to work here._'

' _I __**knew**__ it! You do __**so**__ watch anime!_'

Burstinatrix did a little twirl, complete with an evil-sounding cackle of delight as Avion tried desperately to save face, Sparkman laughing the background and Neos facepalming. Jaden just stared up at the ceiling, sinking to sit in a cross-legged position and remaining only half aware of his monsters' bickering, and absentmindedly petted Winged Kuriboh as the flying furball settled itself comfortably down into his lap for a well-deserved nap.

Above, on the top bunk, Cyber Tutu rolled back over, looking at Jaden with emotionless eyes.

The room filled with a heavy silence, and in it, Jaden drifted off uneasily to sleep.

* * *

Hey, everybody! Sorry I'm late this week, but Reading Week just started, and I'm having Agent Malkere stay over, so we had to get her settled in yesterday. And I had no time to update. But here I am! Get used to that dream sequence, it's gonna come up a lot.

Anywho, I don't think that there's anything in this chapter that you lovely people can't figure out for yourselves, so I'll see you all next Friday.

MoS


	24. Forging Friendships

Warning: Jaden has a martyr complex, and Lia and Aster bond...sorta.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

" This is beautiful."

" You think so?"

" What's the matter, you seasick or something?"

" No. Not really."

" Then what's up?"

" It's nothing really..."

" I know that tone of voice. Something's wrong."

" What, you've only just noticed?"

" You're really trying to tell me that you're shutting us all out because of what happened to Chazz and Alexis?"

" I'm not shutting you guys out."

" Jaden, it's a ten day boat trip. You've haven't talked to us in about six. Not to mention the fact that you barely said two words to us before Christmas vacation."

" I had a lot on my mind. I still do. I'm sorry if it seems like I'm trying to be mean to you, Sy."

" Jay, we don't blame you. We know you. We know you're probably telling yourself this is all your fault."

" Isn't it?"

" I knew it."

" Sy, everything's that's gone wrong started right after I dueled Aster! Chazz got caught in...some kind of trap while he was out looking for me! And it did something to him, and now he's this rambling psychopath! If I hadn't been such a coward and run away, none of this would've happened."

" You don't know that."

" Yes, I do. I wasn't there to save Chazz. I couldn't stop Alexis from falling. The Society of Light has gotten strong because I was too much of a cowardly bastard to stay and face my problems."

" Jaden, that's not true and you know it. You always come through for us, no matter what."

" Like I came through for Chazz when his brothers nearly destroyed him last year? Like I came through when Alexis went after Titan by herself? Like I came through for everyone when Banner used them to test me? Like I came through when you were taken and I was lying in a hospital bed?"

" Aniki, stop it!"

" ...What...What did you call me?"

" You said that that was how you say brother in Japanese. You said that is shows respect for the person. Well, I respect you like you're my brother. In fact, given what Zane's started acting like, I actually respect you a little more than my brother. You have never once let me down. Not once. And everyone will agree. You come through for us no matter how bad the circumstances or how difficult the odds."

" Syrus..."

" Who got Chazz to come around? Who beat Banner and got everybody out? Who made up the plan that eventually saved me?"

" Sy."

" That was all you, Aniki. You've never once failed to impress. You've never once failed any of us. Whatever's going on here, I know you'll find a way to stop it, but for now, please stop blaming yourself."

" But what happened-"

" Was an unfortunate set of circumstances. You can't there for us 24/7. We have to make our own choices in life. Didn't you learn anything from the way my brother treated me? You can't impose your will on other people. And that makes Sartorius the bad guys here. He's tricking people into it, by playing on their weaknesses. You probably couldn't 've gotten to Chazz in time anyway, and nothing and nobody was able to save Lexi. Even Atticus failed, and we all know how close those two are. It's not your fault."

" Still, I feel like I shoulda been there."

" Jay, that's because you have the world's biggest martyr complex."

" I do not."

" Who, exactly, in your suicide gambit of a plan, was the one who had to go down into the crypt and not only face the Beasts, but keep their attention and demand my return. Completely alone and unarmed, might I add."

" That was different."

" How?"

" You're my best friend. I had to go down there and get you. I just had to."

" Zane is my brother. He coulda done it."

" Zane was in no condition to face the Beasts."

" Lexi would have in a heartbeat."

" Alexis is good. She's not that good."

" And you are?"

" No. I mean, yeah, I guess. No. Maybe. That's not the point."

"The point is that you feel like you have to save everybody, Jay."

" Well, who else is going to?"

" We can save ourselves, you know."

"But what about what's happened so far? What if you guys get in over your heads?"

" Well who says it's your job to save us, Jay?"

" I just...I just want you guys to be safe."

" I know Aniki. I know."

" I don't think I could stand it if I lost any of you. I...I lost some people when I was younger. It hurt worse than anything I've ever felt in my life.

" Jaden..."

" Listen, Sy. I know you think I'm being crazy, and that I shouldn't blame myself, but if anything ever happened to any of you, I'd never be able to forgive myself. When my friends got hurt before, I was just a little kid. I didn't understand anything that was going on. I couldn't do a single thing. And it hurt. I've never really forgiven myself for that."

" You can't beat yourself up over things that happened in the past Jaden. You can't change them."

" I know that, but I couldn't help it. I felt like there was nothing I could do to make up for just standing around while people got hurt."

" Jaden, please don't do this to yourself."

" And then, I met you guys. And I promised myself that come Hell or high water, I'd never let anything happen to you, to any of you. I'd protect you no matter what."

" Jaden. Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me."

" Sy, I just want this to be over. I want everything back the way it was."

Syrus turned back to the blue water rushing around the bottom of the white boat.

"It'll all work out eventually." He promised softly, his voice all but lost under the rush of the wind and the roar of the sea.

Jaden heard him anyway.

* * *

Aster was surprised when Lia approached him after dinner on their ninth night on the boat. She just walked up to him as he was star gazing, leaned against the same railing he was, and launched into a speech.

" Listen. Sorry about how crazy I acted last week." She didn't quite look at him, but she wasn't actively trying to avoid his gaze, which he'd dropped from the sky to look at her.

" It was just...I'd had a bad night, and me being me, I jumped to conclusions about the way you were acting and..." She trailed off. " I'm sorry for yelling at you."

He looked back up at the stars.

" Well?" She prompted. " Do I get a response, or do you expect me to wait around out here all night for your forgiveness?"

" I don't see why you're apologizing." He said, not looking at her. " All you did was have a little freak-out. Everyone's entitled to a few of those in their lifetime."

He didn't have to look at her to know she shrugged, but averted her eyes.

" I guess, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you. Sorry."

" Hey, whatever makes you feel better."

She sighed.

" You really are a prick, aren't you?"

But it lacked the heat of the insults from his previous encounters with her, and Aster had to smile.

" You're really insecure, aren't you?"

" Excuse me?" She turned to look at him, and the breeze from the ocean they were skimming over made her bangs dance. Aster tilted his head to catch her eyes, and felt a smirk pull at him lips when he found them wide with incredulity.

" You seemed incapable of believing that I think you're cute. If that doesn't scream 'self esteem issues', then I don't know what does."

" I do _not_ have self esteem issues." She snapped. " I'm just realistic."

" About what?"

" About the face that I'm not very pretty."

Aster choked on the salty air he had been breathing in.

" Have you looked in a mirror lately?" She gave him a scathing look. " In case you're blind or something, you're actually really cute. No joke."

" Cut that out." She muttered, crossing her arms. Aster slowly leaned away from the railing.

" Cut what out? You mean stop calling you cute?" His smirk came back full force. " I call them like I see them."

" I said, cut it out."

" Boy, you must be really insecure if you can't even stand to let a guy call you cute."

" Did it ever occur to you that maybe it isn't the words, but the guy _saying_ them that I have a problem with."

Aster shrugged, turning back to look at the stars.

" Sounds like an excuse to me."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her bristle.

" You know what, screw this. I came out here to apologize. Now I have, and I am going back to my room. Goodnight."

She got about three steps towards the door before Aster caught her arm and pulled her back.

Aster couldn't explain _why_ he was so interested in the girl. She just amused him, in some ways, and when she got all riled up it was funny to watch her explode with the force of a volcano. She was temperamental, but Aster had seen her be gentle and open with her friends, and the sight of someone he knew was capable of death glares potent enough to nearly set someone on fire smiling softly and laughing intrigued him more than he wanted to admit. People had always interested him, and watching them tick their way through their allotted time was both a source of entertainment and a silent reminder about how precious the time was.

And then she'd slapped him.

It wasn't anything new. He'd been slapped before, sometimes by crazy fans, sometimes by angry opponents he'd beaten. While it was always an unpleasant sensation, Aster was no stranger to it by a long shot, and that was why being slapped had little effect on him mentally (even if it _was_ a vicious backhand.)

What had piqued his interest had been the way she glared at him after the slap, the lights outlining her form and the tears in her eyes somehow serving to make her anger more potent. Aster couldn't remember the last time someone had looked at him with such an emotion. Contempt, anger, especially jealousy, and even small bouts of suspicion, he was used to, but the sheer, unadulterated hatred that had been in her eyes made him a little queasy. He was supposed to be a hero, and what kind of hero made a girl look at him like he was the scum of the earth? She'd made him feel as if he was being judged on his worth, and when she'd found him wanting, he'd wanted nothing more than to prove her wrong.

So he'd grabbed her arm because he wanted to show her that he wasn't some jerk she should stay away from, that he wasn't the bad guy in any sense of the word. He wanted to show her he was the hero, and maybe atone for whatever it was he had done to make her look at him like _that_.

She stumbled, her center of gravity thrown off.

" Diable?" She shouted, getting her footing. Then she glared over her shoulder at him. " What the hell do you think you're doing?'

" Would you just let me talk?" He asked exasperatedly. She struggled in his grasp, but Aster pulled her back to the railing.

" This conversation is over." She hissed. Aster had to admire her tenacity. Any other girl he knew of would probably have melted on the spot if he'd given her the exasperated sigh coupled with the suffering-but-fond smile. Then again, most of the girls at Duel Academy tended to have a good resistance to his, or any other boy's, for that matter, charms. It was a little baffling, but Aster had never considered himself a playboy. A flirt, maybe, but most definitely not a playboy, so it didn't bother him too much.

" I still have a few points I'd like to get across, so no, the conversation is not over."

" You can take your points and shove them-"

" Does your mother know you talk like this?"

Lia scowled.

" That has nothing to do with this." She said with a huff, and leaned her elbows on the railing, staring moodily out at the ocean.

Aster felt his eyebrow rise at the sudden mood shift, and the clear sulkiness of the girl, before it clicked in his head.

" Your mom not the most attentive lady?"

Lia scoffed.

" I don't see how that's any of your business."

" I got it one, didn't I?"

" I'm leaving." She said, making to move. Aster was quicker. He scooted next to her and blocked her path with his arm.

" Jeez, take it easy. I'm sorry about saying that. If it makes you feel any better, my mom was no hell either."

" And I suppose that explains the mystery of why you turned out the way you did." She replied waspishly, but she placed herself against the cold railing, seemingly content to stay where she was for the time being. Aster let his hand drop.

" She left my dad when I was about seven. Got remarried and everything about a year later." His smile turned sad. " It didn't change much. My dad was the one who..."

" You were close to him?" Lia asked stiffly, not looking at him. Aster stared down at the water churning below, almost black in the darkness of the night, white foam being kicked up by the metallic, pale hull of the ship.

The image of his father, glasses perched on his nose, nearly cross-eyed as he bent over the paper, trying to finish a small detail on the design, came to him. He remembered how his father had worked tirelessly to finish the cards he promised to make for his son. He remembered the look of delight on his face when a young Aster had declared the drawings to be 'Awesome!'. He remembered how no matter how busy he had been, Aidan Phoenix had always had time to sit and talk with his son. His wife had thought he focused too little on his career, and had eventually left him. And when Aster had asked, with big eyes filled with glittering tears, when Mommy was coming home, his father had dropped to his knees and hugged his seven-year-old son. He hadn't tried to explain that night, but the next morning he had, and he'd told Aster than Mommy wasn't coming back, he and Mommy were going to live apart from now on, but maybe, someday, they could all be friends again.

Aster had unabashedly taken his father's side.

" He was my everything." Aster breathed.

He was so engrossed with his memories that he missed the look Lia shot him, half sympathy and half envy.

Aster heaved one last sigh, shaking himself mentally to try and undo the melancholy air he'd unintentionally created.

" What...What about you?" He tried after a few false starts. Lia was back to looking at the deck like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

" What _about_ me?" She tried to snark, but there was no real heat in her voice, and as Aster watched, the fight seemed to go out of her, leaving the shaking girl he'd caught a glimpse of behind the wrathful woman that night he'd first dueled Jaden Yuki seriously.

" Were you close to your dad?"

She snorted, and it sounded like she only did so she wouldn't start crying.

" Hard to be close to a man who left when you were five."

Aster winced, and wondered how exactly, they'd gotten on such a train of thought.

" That early huh?"

Lia shrugged, but Aster saw the tense way she was holding her body.

" He wasn't a family guy. His career was his everything."

Aster thought of his father, and sitting on his lap as the man drew sketches of heroes for him that later became the cards that got him killed.

" Sounds like my mom would've liked him. She was always telling Dad to focus on his career more, from what I can remember."

" My mom's a career woman. It wasn't like she tried to keep the marriage going either." Lia leaned back on her elbows. " Neither of them fought for it very much. Just dumped me off with the grandparents and went globe-hopping."

Aster watched the pale line of her neck appear in the moonlight, and realized that Lia looked incredibly fragile, nothing like the sturdy girl who'd stood by her friends or the furious avenger who'd stood over him and berated him for hurting someone she cared about. She was the girl in the hallway again, broken and crying and strong, shouting at him that revenge wasn't going to bring his father back, and he wasn't to return to her sight until he'd found the courage to stop hiding behind destiny and vengeance.

Aster wasn't quite sure why, but he didn't like being thought of as a coward, not by anyone, and especially not by the girl in front of him.

" Together?" He ventured, mirroring her stance. She snorted again.

" Maman on the savannah, staring at lions." She laughed, and this time, it sounded genuine. " She can barely stand my dog Charlie. You really think she'd go with my father to work on the reserve?"

" Your dad worked with lions?" He asked.

" He was a zoologist, working on an game reserve in Africa." She tilted her head back more, eyes closed. " He brought me down there once, when I was about six and a half. It was beautiful."

" Yeah?" Aster whispered back, feeling strangely humbled.

Lia nodded.

" It was like...golden fields stretching out, bleeding into green. I got up really early once to get a photo of the sunrise, and I swear, I couldn't breathe because it was so beautiful. Like I was looking right into..." She stuttered to a halt, her face bright red.

" Like you were looking at what?"

" It's silly." She insisted, ducking her head down.

" No, c'mon, tell me. I promise I won't laugh."

" Well..." She bit her lower lip, and shot him a quick glance out of the corner of her eyes. Aster smiled encouragingly.

" It was...at the time, I thought that maybe...I was looking right into the eyes of God."

There was silence, in which Lia worried her lower lip and tried very hard not to feel anxious about Aster's response.

Then,

" Never would've pegged you as religious."

" I'll have you know I was raised Catholic." She shot back, her anger mainly from the tenseness she'd felt only moments before. Aster's eyebrows wiggled is eyebrows.

" Oh, a good little Catholic girl then? You'll forgive me if I didn't get that from your cussing and wicked temper."

" Stereotyping." She countered, but there was a hint of a grin on her face. " I have no idea why I'm telling you these things."

" My natural charisma tends to make people do things they normally wouldn't."

" I'm gonna call it 'temporary insanity' and turn in before I say something I'll regret." Lia gave him a sardonic smile, and walked towards the door. Aster leaned forward a little as she passed.

" Something like what?"

She shook her head.

" Nothing."

" Like how you're totally falling for me?" He grinned roguishly. Lia gave him a once over, raising one eyebrow at the grin.

" Cheri, not if you were the last man on earth." She deadpanned. " I'm not attracted to pricks."

" Wait, I'm still a prick?" He balked. " But I've been nothing but nice to you since you came you came out here. How can you still think I'm a prick?"

" Very easily." He pouted at her dismissive tone.

" Doesn't our bonding moment count for anything with you?"

" One," she held up a finger, " that does not count as bonding."

" Then whaddyou call it?"

" Exchanging information."

" You make it sound like we got into a car accident and need to get each other's phone numbers for insurance reasons." He muttered.

" And two," she held up another finger, " you are still a prick. You're just a prick with a few, minor redeeming qualities."

" Minor?" He put on a wounded expression. " That hurts, babe."

" Don't call me that." She said automatically, and pushed the door open. " Goodnight, Monsieur Phoenix."

" At least call me Aster. It's weird to call me my last name when we're the same age."

She paused in the doorway.

" How did you know we're the same age?"

" Jaden told me."

" Imbecile." She muttered darkly. " Alright, goodnight, _Aster_." She gave him an expectant look. " Can I go now?"

" Sure, just as soon as you draw me a bath and fluff my pillows."

" Would be prefer to drown or be smothered?"

" Like you could bring yourself to destroy this face."

" With ease."

" You keep telling yourself that if it helps you sleep at night."

" And on that note, I am going to bed."

The door heaved shut behind her, and Aster was left alone on the deck, the water churning black under him and the stars shining brightly above. He smiled to himself.

" You're cute when you're laughing."

* * *

Okay, here's the short version of what happened last week and the week before: There were essays. In fact, there are STILL essays. But now, there are some outlines for some of the essays, and a stack-load of books about the Celts for the oter one. And one essay that hasn't had the list of topics posted even though it's due in less than a month what the hell Sociology?

Anyway, sorry. You're getting more than one chapter now, I promise.

Also, Aster's mom. Feel bad for him! FEEL IT.

MoS


	25. Trembling Dreams

Warnings: The dream is back. And Jasmine tries her hand at Japanese, which means that _I_ try my hand at Japanese...yeah, this can only end badly.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX._

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

When Sartorius (good god, he was creepy. He had Lia shaking from just being on the same ship with him. She was constantly ducking behind her friends whenever he passed, staring at the floor in the hopes that he would overlook her. He always did, but that comforting thought never stayed with her until the next almost-encounter. She couldn't for the life of her understand why she was so scared of the man. She'd certainly seen worse, in the forms of some of the Shadow Riders, and she suspected that she could take her share of a beating – if her encounters with the black mist and Cliff the Trap Remover were anything to go by – but the fact remained that when Sartorius came into view, Lia scrambled to get out of it. He scared her in a deep, primal way; he made her think of stone spears and lost languages and being stalked in the dark night. He awoke every last one of her self-preservation instincts, and for once, Lia listened to them. It was a deeper fear than that of knives and living fog and wicked, towering beasts. Sartorius represented something shapeless, something yet unidentified, and Lia found that the fact that she couldn't give her fear a name only made it worse. Sartorius was behind the Society of Light, and if he could make Chazz and Alexis act so unlike themselves, what couldn't he do?) stated that he and his 'dorm' had their own agenda to follow, alarm bells started going off in her head like crazy.

" That doesn't sound good." She whispered to Hassleberry as the older man made a bow and walked off with the Society, a sea of white against the darkly painted warehouses on the docks.

" Not much we can do about it." The army boy whispered back, shrugging. " I say we just let 'em go off 'n do as they please. Gets 'em outta our hair."

" And what if they do something bad?"

" Descahbe 'bad'?"

" Oh, I don't know." She feigned ignorance. " Take over the city with their weird mind control thing?"

" They wouldn't dare."

" You'd really put that past them? Past Creeper over there?"

" Nahce nickname."

" He creeps the fuck outta you too, admit it."

" He's a little unnervin', that's fer sure."

" 'Unnerving'. Right. Is that what we're calling it these days."

" Lia!"

The girl's head shot up. Running towards her, wearing her Obelisk Blue top and a pair of dark capris, was a blonde, waving her hand back and forth. A little bit behind her, a brunette was chatting on her cellphone, speedwalking to keep pace with her friend. Lia smiled.

" Jessica! Miriam!" She smiled as the blonde all but crashed into her. " God, Jess, we had class together before the break."

" Semester is changing soon. I need to spend as much time as I can with my camera buddy."

"Speaking of." Lia held up her wrist. Wrapped around it was the cord of a small, silver camera in a protective, clear case. " Check it out."

Jessica leapt forward, grabbing at the device. The brunette, Miriam, peaked over her friend's shoulder, still on her cellphone.

" Shit, the new model." Jessica turned it around in her hands, completely oblivious to the fact that she was yanking Lia's arm around as she did so. Hassleberry snorted under his breath.

"Where d'ya get it?"

" For my birthday." Lia winced. " Can I have my hand back?"

" Huh?"

" Jess, hun, you're, like, pulling her arm off." Miriam explained, leaning away from her phone for a moment. Jessica glanced down, and then flushed.

" Whoops! Sorry Lia!"

And dropped the camera. Lia rubbed her wrist gingerly, and readjusted the strap so that it was on the outside of her black top. Miriam put her ear back to her cellphone, listened for about two seconds, then snapped it shut.

" He is, like, so not off the hook." She said grumpily. Hassleberry raised an eyebrow.

" Boyfriend?"

" My little brother." Miriam shook her head. " He, like, gave my music box to a girl to, like, impress her. He is totally dead when I get my hands on him."

" Neil giving you trouble again?" Jasmine asked as she walked up, smirk on her face. Miriam turned and made a face.

" I, like, don't get how you can stand three, Jazz. Brothers are such, like, pains!"

Jasmine threw her head back, laughing as the sunlight sent gold ripples through her hair. Jaden and Syrus walked up beside them, each looking slightly confused.

" Sorry, but what?"

" Sy, you can't talk. You _are_ a little brother." Jessica said with another laugh, patting the smaller boy on the head. " Now, what are we gonna do all day? The itinerary got cancelled thanks to the Society of Psychos."

" No way!" Mindy butted in, looping an arm through both Jessica's and Miriam's. " We are having a girls day out. No boys allowed!" She smiled sweetly at the boys. " No offense."

" None taken?" Bastian said shakily, still a little wary after the way Alexis and Lia had trounced him. Mindy beamed at him.

" Good."

" One problem." Jessica pointed out. " We're in Japan. None of us speak the language. We'd be screwed."

" I speak a little." Jasmine pointed out. " My grandfather's Japanese."

" Oh, that explains it." Jaden piped up. The group turned to look at him, and he flushed at the attention. " 'Makita'. Due North."

" Is that what it means..." Jasmine mussed, even as Mindy started to yank her away.

" C'mon girls, let's go find us a mall!"

Lia tried to protest as she was dragged away as Jasmine got into the idea and yanked at her. She froze as they passed by Aster Phoenix, who took one look at the predicament, and made a face at her the clearly said he was amused. He was back to being that arrogant bastard who'd hurt Jaden, and she scowled up at him. Then he tipped his head to her, and Lia fought the strange bubble of warmth that swelled in her chest. The image of him from the night before, staring down at the water, his eyes glazed over with his past and his voice betraying the depth of his feelings, was burned into the back of her head, and she couldn't quite muster up the hatred she'd felt for him before. There was a low simmer of dislike she could draw on, but beyond that, her monster had once again shed its skin to reveal the deep soul it hid under its scales, and Lia found that, just like with Zane, she couldn't blindly hate Aster Phoenix without feeling guilty.

She didn't have to _like_ him, of course, but she couldn't hate him.

She settled for glaring sullenly up at him as her friends kept dragging her further away from the docks and towards the main part of the town. He gave her a sarcastic little wave, before turning to address Bastian. The Ra was looking at the pro-star with something that could've been mistrust, although Lia couldn't really tell from the distance. Miriam noticed her attention, and followed the younger girl's gaze.

"Hoh boy. Bastian and Aster are, like, getting into it."

Mindy leaned her head back to look.

" It looks like they're just talking to me."

" Boys, like, never 'just talk'." Miriam shook her head. " It's, like all about one-upping each other and stuff."

" She's got a point." Jasmine chimed in. " Boys don't talk about stuff like girls do."

" That's because men in general prefer doing things with other guys as opposed to talking. Working out, fixing things, that sort of stuff. Male friendships are based on doing things together, rather than the verbal communication female friendships are based on." Jessica explained, pulling her arm free to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. She kept walking, unaware that the other four had stopped. When she finally noticed, she turned back to look at their stunned faces.

"What? When you have an older sister who's a Soc major, you pick up on a few things."

" Sure," Lia muttered as she walked forward, almost jogging to catch up, " you get to learn about the differences between gendered friendships. I get to learn about dead people and who killed who for whatever reason. Go ahead." She taunted. " Ask me about ethnic cleansing in the ancient world. The Aztecs were fucking scary."

" And that's why I chose Babylon for my Ancient Civilization project in History class." Jasmine said with a shudder.

Lia grinned at her.

" What, not a fan of the removal of the still beating heart ritual?"

Jasmine made a face.

" I try very hard not to think about it too much."

" I spent half the summer in South America with my mother, looking at those tombs and researching those rituals." She stuck her tongue out in distaste. " I now know the proper way to make a sacrifice to the god Tezcatlipoca in the month of Toxcatl."

" Bless you." Miriam joked as Lia stumbled over the strange names.

" Okay, where are we?" The blonde asked, looking around at the people milling on the streets. They'd managed to get away from the docks and had wandered into a what appeared to be a residential area.

Jasmine sighed.

" Hang on." She shuffled forward, looking at the passersby until she saw a boy about their age. Approaching him, she cleared her throat. The boy looked up from where he was tinkering with his bike, his face changing from annoyance at being interrupted to rapt attention.

" Hi. I mean, uh...konichiwa." She smiled sheepishly. " Um...okay...uh, koko...koko ha...doko...desu ka?"

The boy paused for a moment, and then replied.

" Domino desu."

" Right." Jasmine said with a bit too much gusto. " Um...dokora...dokora..."

" Michinimayou 'ndesu ka?" He tried to encourage.

Jasmine shook her head.

" Yes. Oh, um...hai. Watashitachi...hoshii..."

" Nani wo sagasu no?" The boy said, trying to ease Jasmine's frustration. Lia sighed, feeling very lost. The boy waited patiently for Jasmine to finish her thoughts, every so often glancing up at the the four girls who were waiting a little ways away. He gave them an encouraging smile, which both Mindy and Miriam returned.

Finally, Jasmine let out a gust of air, her shoulders slumping.

" Eigo wo...uh...eigo wo...hana...um, hanaseru ka?" She tried. The boy blinked, putting her stuttered sentence together, and then smiled.

" Yes. A little."

" Thank _God_." Lia breathed as she walked forward. She nodded to the boy. " Sorry to bother you, but do you know where the nearest mall is?"

" Down this street. Make a left. Keep going. You will see it easily." The boy pointed in the direction.

Jasmine bowed.

" Arigatou gozaimasu." The boy gave her a smile that was only slightly patronizing.

" Your accent is very American." Jasmine flushed, and then straightened, rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment. " But you're not too bad."

" Thanks." She started off down the street. " Bye."

" Ja ne." He called.

" That was so cool!" Miriam gushed once they were out of earshot.

" Are you kidding? I was so embarrassed! I made a total ass of myself!" Jasmine moaned, burying her head in her hands. " Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

" That guy was totally checking you out." Mindy soothed, patting her friend sympathetically on the shoulder. Beside her, Lia rolled her eyes, only half paying attention as she mentally went over the boy's instructions. " I don't think he cared about how bad your Japanese was."

" That's it! I'm taking lessons at the community center this summer!"

" It wasn't that bad, Jazz. Was it Lia?"

" Speaking as a native of a country whose language gets murdered nine times out of ten when foreigners try to speak it, I'd say you weren't as bad as you think you were." She shrugged. " At least you _tried_. You wouldn't _believe _number of people who come to France and expect you to speak English."

" Um shouldn't you?" Jessica asked. Lia rounded on her.

" You wanna come to France? Learn French. You wanna speak English? England is just a train ride away. Get yourself a seat on the next Euro Star outta there and stop complaining. We don't care."

Jessica snorted.

" You know, it's that attitude that makes half the world think the French are stuck up bastards."

" We _are_ stuck up bastards." Lia smirked. " We're just stuck up bastards with an awesome language."

The smirk became a genuine smile as Jessica rolled her eyes good naturedly while the other three girls started giggling.

* * *

Lia thought that maybe, she should've known that it wasn't going to last. They'd come up the mall and proceeded to go wild, dragging each other from shop to shop, trying on clothes, fumbling over trying to communicate with the sales representative, and getting weird looks from the other shoppers whenever one of Jasmine's attempts at speaking Japanese ended badly enough to send them into fits of laughter. Lia had been forced into several changing rooms, ladened down with clothes she knew she was never going to wear, let alone buy. They gone so far as to try and get her into a traditional kimono, but she'd taken one look at the highly detailed dress and firmly put her foot down, refusing. Mindy had tried one on instead, squealing in delight and posing for both Jessica and Lia's cameras, the latter of which had been confiscated by Jasmine.

In retaliation for her refusing to wear the traditional Japanese garb, Mindy had promptly dragged Lia into another store, and forced her into a Sweet Lolita get up, complete with frills, bows, and lace so delicate Lia was pretty sure she'd need a magnifying glass to see all the details. She'd put up with the fussing of an ecstatic Mindy, a shoulders-shaking-with-suppressed-laughter Jessica, and a pair of overly indulgent sales reps, who'd cooed and used the 'Kyu-to!' far too much for about twenty minutes before she'd demanded her own clothes back. Unfortunately, she knew both Jessica and Jasmine had photos of her in the get-up. She also knew she was going to have to sell her soul in order to keep those photos from going public.

Miriam, at the least, had bought her an ice cream cone with a sympathetic smile. Not for the first time, Lia was grateful she at least had something of a friendship with other Academics, especially when Jasmine and Mindy started wondering if they should take a look around at some of the famous dueling sights in Domino. Jessica had looked over her fellow Obelisks' shoulder and winced, showing Lia just what she thought of that plan.

That was went the sky had suddenly darkened.

It had been sunny up until that point, but in the blink of an eye, dark, almost black clouds, came rolling in out of nowhere, blotting out the blue sky. The wind had picked up, frigid and cold, and abruptly whisked away the new baseball cap with the city logo on it that Jasmine had bought as a souvenir. She'd given chase, followed by Mindy and Jessica, leaving Miriam and Lia alone. The two had taken one look at the sky, and mutually agreed to go seek shelter. After a bit of quick information swapping provided the knowledge that Lia had Mindy and Jasmine's numbers, while Miriam had Jessica's, they'd exchanged numbers and headed off in opposite directions of try and find a place sturdy enough to weather the massive storm they both knew was about to break.

Lia had been in a bit of a panic. While rain and sleet and hail had never really been on her top ten list of fears, recent events (and that horrifying dream sequence that she just couldn't seem to put out of her head, no matter how hard she concentrated) had her on edge for almost every little thing. So she's been a bit less than careful about darting around street corners, and running through crowds. She figured she could always just mumble a hurried apology and get to a safer location in a hurry, if she happened to run into someone.

It was dodging around one of the aforementioned street corners that she did just that.

It was more of a crash, really. She'd gone careening around the corner, and instead of continuing through the thin air, she'd met with a soft, but firm wall of resistance that had her bouncing back. Something had grabbed a hold of the upper half of her right arm, keeping her from falling backwards.

" Thanks." She muttered as she regained her footing. Her nose was aching a little. Rubbing it, she hastened to apologize.

" Sorry about that. Wasn't watching where I was going." Part of her registered that her words had the possibility of being lost on someone who didn't speak a word of English, but she was more worried about finding shelter, preferably her hotel room. She had a sneaking suspicion that that was where the girls had ended up, and, knowing Crowler, he'd never let her hang out in the Obelisk Blue rooms for overlong.

"No, that's quite all right. I wasn't paying attention myself." A smooth voice replied, and Lia felt her heart still in her chest. There was a slinking, serpentine quality to his voice that made every hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

' Run.' Her subconscious whispered fearfully, and Lia backed up a step, trying to put some distance between her and the man she knew was standing in front of her. The plan might have succeeded, if it hadn't been for the fact that his hand was still on her arm, holding her in place. Lia glanced at it. It was as pale as his face had been that day by the Red Dorm. In fact, in the sombre light of the clouds above, it looked even paler, going from ghost white to skeleton white. She bit her lip hard as she tried to repress a shudder.

" Are you feeling well? You suddenly went pale as a spirit." If this had been any other situation, Lia might've smirked at the irony of his statement. As it was, she had to swallow a bark of hysterical laughter, knowing it wasn't born out of any sense of humour she felt for the circumstances. Instead, she nodded quickly, trying very hard to keep her face hidden under her hair. The same thing that threw its head back and screamed every time she caught sight of the man was telling her to do so, to prevent him from seeing what she looked like at all costs, because if he saw her face, even once, he could pick her out in a crowd, and that meant she wasn't just some faceless, nameless nobody in his book anymore. It meant he would know her, and if he knew her, she couldn't just duck and hide behind her friends anymore. At some point, sooner or later, she'd have to face him, and somehow, Lia just knew she'd come out the loser in that confrontation.

" 'M fine." She said, pulling back even more. " I have to go, excuse me."

But the hand holding her arm didn't loosen. In fact, it tightened, and Lia had to hold back a sob.

" You seem very upset, my dear."

' I'm not your dear!' She thought fiercely.

" I'm fine." She tried again, tugging a little with the arm he held. The action was weak, like all the strength was just draining out of her the longer she stood there. " I just need to go."

" You're shaking."

And to her horror, she realized that she was. Her shoulders trembled and her back was alive with shivers and no matter how hard she tried to push them back, several shudders made her whole body sway. She felt weak, her knees straining with the effort to keep from knocking together and then buckling under her. She wanted to yank her arm away from him, but even the thought of moving it left her mind feeling drained. She opened her mouth, maybe to yell profanities, or maybe to scream, or maybe just to try and breathe, because her lungs felt empty and she wonder when she'd forgotten that she needed air to live, but her teeth were chattering too fast and too loudly and she couldn't form any words.

" What has you in such a fluster?" The voice said softly, and Lia shook as she realized that she wanted to lean into it. " It's alright. You can tell me."

It sounded so convincing. Lia almost believed that if she just looked up, maybe this awful fear that was making her body betray her every wish would stop. Maybe if she looked up, he could take away her terror, and she could figure out how to live again. Maybe, just maybe, he could make that dream nothing but a distant memory. And if he could do that, then maybe everything could go back to the way it was, with Chazz and her fighting and Alexis being her friend and everything being okay like it was at the end of the previous year. Maybe, she could go back to being happy...

A cold set of fingers touched her chin, and she jolted out of her reverie.

Panic flooded her mind, and she started to struggled, sickened with the fact that she'd almost given in. She made to kick him, but her leg almost crashed out from under her when she tried to support all her weight on it, and the only thing that kept her upright was the hand that held her arm in a vice, so tight she was sure there would be bruises later.

" Look at me."

She shook her head, eyes squeezing shut.

" It won't hurt, I promise."

' Liar.' Her mind hissed. ' _Liar_.'

" My dear girl, whatever is the matter? I'm not trying to hurt you, I promise."

" Lemme go." Lia whispered, and nearly choked as she realized her command sounded like a plea. The fingers on her chin tightened, and before she could stop it, her face was yanked up so it fell into the grim light the town had been set in. Her eyes flew open in shock, and she found herself staring into the startled face of Sartorius Nevin.

He looked at her like he'd never seen a girl before. His eyes dragged up and down her body, taking in her blue jeans, black shirt, and green tank top, the latter two being ruffled up and creased by her attempts to flee. His gaze fell to her face, and Lia watch his purple eyes navigate over her trembling lips, pale skin and pleading eyes. One of her bangs fell onto her nose and he followed the decent, looking at her like she was a specimen in a lab somewhere.

Lia was too scared to even gulp.

" You..." He breathed, pulling her closer to peer into her eyes. "...Who...are you?"

A memory dance before her eyes; A tall, beautiful woman peering at her through green eyes, narrowed into slits and trying to read her very soul; the roar of monsters behind her, shaking the sky with their cries; Atticus's face, black with a fury that was tempered only by the concern and true affection in his eyes, demanding that she turn tail and run as fast as she could; warm arms encasing her as she screamed; a gleaming stone in her hands, the wicked point at the end stabbing her in the finger as she fiddled with it, sitting on her bed at home; watching the blood bubble up, and spill down her finger, red, so very red against her white skin...

" I..." She whispered, the weight of something she couldn't name crushing in on her.

" Tell me." He cajoled, but his eyes had lit up in that awful way and the air in her lungs was starting to dissipate, and she felt lightheaded, the blood rushing in her ears.

_...skin as white as paper, as snow, as bone. So white it hurt to look at, burning like the sun until it hurt her eyes. The warmth around her vanished. The whiteness of her skin was making her eyes hurt, but she could stop staring at her bleeding finger. Then she blinked, and realized that she wasn't looking at her finger at all. She was staring at the white tower across the sea. No silver, it was silver, because the lightening streaking across the sky, branching out into little, reaching fingers on the underbellies of the bloated clouds, those were white, not the tower._

" Just tell me your name, my dear girl."

_The voice was so far off, like it was being yelled at her from across a canyon. But it wasn't a voice at all. It was the wind, rushing around her and whipping the dust into a storm. Storm. Wasn't she worried about a storm? Wasn't there a storm coming? But the storm was already there, black clouds and white lightning and thunder that rumbled like roars. Or was it roars? She remembered three dark figures rising up out of the ground, fire and ice and lightening, always lightening, slashing the sky, hacking at it like a sickle hacking at wheat. _

_The wind was getting louder now, so loud it was drowning out the thunder, and she slapped her hands over her ears and shut her eyes as tight as she could, trying not to listen as the wind howled around her like a caged beast._

" _Tell me your name!" It demanded, and she shook her head, sinking to her knees at the very edge of the cliff._

" _No, no, no." She moaned, pressing her forehead to her knees. " Leave me alone. Go away!"_

" _Your name!" The winded shrieked, and her eyes flew open, her head whipping up to see the white hot column of the lightening shaft as it raced towards her._

An arm swooped in to wrap around her shoulders, and suddenly, Lia yanked back. She connected with the solid warmth of another body, and instinctively, she curled into it, shaking like a leaf.

" Back off, Sartorius." Lia vaguely registered the fury in Aster's voice, but all she really cared about was the elder man making a mocking bow to them both, before turning around and walking away. Only when he'd vanished from sight did Aster turn to look down at her, his angry expression melting away to one of concern.

" You okay?" He asked softly.

Lia pressed her face into his shoulder, and tried very hard not to burst into tears.

* * *

You know, sometimes, I think I might be going out of my way to be mean to Lia.

Then I remember what happens to her in later chapters, and I KNOW I'm going out of my way.

Anywho, let's take a crack at Jasmine's...attempts?

" Konichiwa." - Hello.

" Um...okay...uh, koko...koko ha...doko...desu ka?" - 'Koko ha doko desu ka?' Denshi Jisho told me it was basically, " Where is this?"

" Domino desu." - This is Domino.

" Um...dokora...dokora..." - Where...Where

" Michinimayou 'ndesu ka?" - Are you lost?

" Yes. Oh, um...hai. Watashitachi...hoshii..." - We...want...

" Nani wo sagasu no?" - What are you looking for?

" Eigo wo...uh...eigo wo...hana...um, hanaseru ka?" - 'Eigo wo hanaseru ka?' Do you speak English

" Arigatou gozaimasu." - ...Really? 'Thank you very much'

" Ja ne." - ...I don't think you can be an anime fan or read anime fanfiction without knowing what this is. I'm pretty sure it's on the final exam for being an anime otaku.

Well, I think that's al- wait, Kyuto. Cute. I'm sure you all coulda made that leap, but I'm tired, and I wanna end this. So, here you are.

Yes, that dream thingie is up for interpretation. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go finish that fic I'm reading, then collapse into bed and sleep, because I have to read up on La Tene art styles, their metal working styles, and the Celtic culture for my essay. And then figure out how I'm gonna write a paper about the transformative language of Native animal myths. Ah, the joys of university. Wish me luck!

MoS


	26. Confusing Challenge

Warnings: Sarina. Atticus being protective. A complete glossing over of T-Bone and Blaze. Because I don't like them much. I suppose I could give them an in-depth back story as to how they got their powers and how they met Sarina but...I have school, and too many characters to balance in my head to really be able to do it.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_.

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

" Just what the Hell do you think you're doing?"

" Looking for Syrus and Hassleberry. They weren't at the hotel, so I thought they might've come here instead."

" It's the middle of the night! What were you thinking, walking all the way out here by yourself!"

" Take it easy, Atticus."

" No, I will _not_ take it easy! You're _fifteen_ for Christ's sake, Lia! Have some sense!"

" Atticus, she got down here just fine. That's the important thing."

" You couldn't have left with Bastian?"

" I was asleep!"

" Really? You never go to bed this early."

" I had a long day."

" You okay?"

" You know you're like, the fourth person to ask me that today? Yeah, I'm fine."

" What happened, Koneko-chan?"

" What did I say about that name?"

" You might as well accept it, because it's not going anywhere."

" Damn."

" So. What happened?"

" I uh,...I kinda had a run-in with someone."

" Who?"

"..."

" Lia."

" Kitten. I'm already pissed. Don't make it worse for yourself."

" ...It was Sartorius."

" Jesus Christ!"

" What did he do? Did he hurt you? Did he try to brainwash you?"

" He didn't do any of that. He just...well, actually, I'm not sure what he did. He just sorta...talked to me."

" Talked to you?"

" Talked how?"

" I dunno how to describe it. Like...like...he reminds me of the Serpent."

" Huh?"

" Wait, like, Garden of Eden, Forbidden Fruit Serpent?"

" Yeah. It's like, he's trying to get me to do something, I know it's bad and I shouldn't, but he sounds so persuasive."

" What's he trying to get you to do?"

" That's the thing. I don't know. I don't even know what _he's_ trying to do with this whole Society mess."

" So, aside from talking to you, he didn't do anything to you, Koneko-chan?"

" Nothing really. The emotional drain just made me really tired. So I went to sleep after dinner."

" Bastian said you fell asleep at the _table_."

" I said I was tired. Anyway, I woke up about half-an-hour ago, and remembered that I hadn't seen Syrus or Hassleberry around anywhere since the girls dragged me off to go shopping this afternoon. By the way. The Lolita style. Not cool."

" They dressed you in _Rori-ta_?"

" Sweet Lolita."

" Amarori? Oh god, please tell me there are pictures!"

" I refuse to answer that question."

" That's a yes."

" _Anyway_, after I asked at the front desk, they said Syrus and Hassleberry had never checked in, but their luggage was just sitting there. I guess it got dropped off with the rest of the Ra stuff."

" What prompted you to come down here?"

" I thought maybe they'd come down to spend the night with you or something. So I just got the location of your...camping spot...from the schedule, grabbed one of the maps, and headed down here."

" You got a map? Where? Where did you get a map from?"

" They handed them out before we left."

" I never get the map! Can you believe even _Aster_ has a campus map? I still don't know where you got them!"

" Jaden, I think we're forgetting the main issue here. _Lia walked for twenty minutes in the middle of the night in a big city __**all alone**__!_"

" Oh for the love of-Nothing happened!"

" It might've!"

" Like what?"

" You coulda been kidnapped! Or assaulted! Did that ever occur to you?"

" I got down here just fine! Nothing happened!"

" But it coulda!"

" And it didn't!"

" That's not the point at all!"

" Yes it is! The point is that yes, I did something stupid that I shouldn't have, and I regret it, but I made it here safely, and with the knowledge that what I did was incredibly risky and should never be attempted again."

" ..."

"Atticus, say something."

" ...At least you acknowledge that it was a stupid thing to do."

" Trust me, I have no desire to walk alone down any darkened streets."

" You shoulda called. I'da come and gotten you."

" Yeah, yeah. So, Syrus and Hassleberry?"

" Lia?"

" What, Jaden?"

" Sit down."

And Lia sat down on a log near the fire, ignoring the strange old man who smiled benignly at her, ready to listen.

It took about ten or twelve minutes to explain. Some of the dueling logistics were lost one her, and some of the logic behind the events confused the hell out of her but by the end, Lia had managed to glean one, all-important fact out of the story:

Syrus and Hassleberry had been captured, and Jaden apparently had to go to Kaibaland to get them back.

(Why anyone would name an amusement park _Kaibland_ was beyond her. Given what she remembered of the man, Monsieur Kaiba had been anything but amusing. In fact, he'd been downright intimidating, and Lia could honestly say that she would never want to set foot in an amusement park named after someone who had actually made her shake in her boots without saying one word. The image of him, leaning over his desk on his elbows, fingers steepled and a contemplative look that somehow managed to look frightening, was one she would never forget, and always associate with the man. Before coming to Duel Academy, she hadn't realized that it was considered one of the highest honours a Duelist could achieve to have a one on one talk with Seto Kaiba. Lia still thought of him as the proprietor of her school, a shrewd businessman, and someone worthy of both her fear and respect. But that did not, in any way, make it a good idea to name a theme park after him. There were limits, even in the city of Domino, and that simply _had_ to be one of them.)

Lia laid her head in her hands, dragging it back up slowly until her fingers rested against her mouth.

" Ho boy." She muttered.

" You said it." Jaden nodded darkly.

" This is just..." She trailed off, looking for the right word. Apparently, she found none, because the silence stretched on.

" Took the words right outta my mouth." Atticus lamented, strumming his ukulele with a sorrowful expression.

Lia rested her elbows on her bent knees, and then put her chin in her palms.

" So what are you gonna do?" She looked at Jaden.

" What do you think?" She frowned at him.

" If you have another batshit insane plan that involves you throwing yourself to the lions, then forget it. No more martyrs, thank you very much."

" I wasn't gonna do that."

" Uh-huh, _sure_ you weren't."

" I wasn't!"

" What are you talking about?" Atticus blinked in confusion. Bastian slapped his face into his palm.

" Right, I keep forgetting that you were unconscious for most of last year."

" We lost Syrus to the Sacred Beasts." Jaden said flatly. Atticus whipped his head around to stare at the younger boy, both his eyes, even the one sporting the wicked purple bruise, wide as saucers.

" You're kidding." He breathed.

" Nope." Lia said, staring at the fire like she was trying to develop pyrokinesis and make it dance the tango. " And then Jaden got this damn-fool idea into his head that _he_ was gonna go ask them politely to give us Sy back."

" How did _that_ work?" Atticus said, and then hastened to correct himself. " I mean, I _know_ it worked, but how did he get the Beasts to agree? They aren't known for being reasonable."

" Hell if I know. He went down there _alone_." Lia shrugged. Atticus dropped his instrument.

" Are you _insane_?" He hissed over the crackling of the fire. Most of the others Slifers had gone to sleep after Jaden's duel with T-Bone, and they had to be quiet, lest they wake them up. " Do you have _any_ idea how lucky you are? The Beasts coulda ripped you limb from limb!"

"Atticus, I know I got lucky, okay?"

" Lia, why didn't you stop him?"

" One, we all thought Chumley was gonna go with him, two, I ran into a guy with _knife_ and was a little freaked out, three Chazz knocked me out half way through the evening, and four, I spent the next two weeks in a coma. When, exactly, was I supposed to tear into him about his dumbass choices?"

Atticus just blinked.

" Not to mention, she let me have it afterwards" Jaden prodded at the fire. Atticus gave him a look that was half respect and half shock.

" You have no idea how lucky you are to not be monster food right now, bro."

" I nearly died down in that crypt." Jaden said flatly. " I know I'm lucky to be alive."

Both Lia and Atticus started at the revelation, but even as they both opened their mouths, no doubt to yell at him for keeping something from them, they were interrupted as flashed of purple light exploded into being, small, rectangles of reflective surfaces following in their wake. One of the mirrors floated up eye-level, and Lia's gut churned as, after it flashed brilliantly, the face of a pretty, dark haired woman with pale red-brown eyes appeared. The woman focused in on Jaden, smirk on her red lips.

" It's pleasure to finally meet you face to face, Jaden. Or, as face to face as I can allow myself to be."

" A...miko?" Jaden whispered, staring at the woman's odd top.

" Of sorts." She inclined her head towards him. " Douzo yoroshiku."

Jaden glared.

" What do you want?" He growled.

The woman clucked her tongue.

" Impatience never got anyone anywhere. My interests are my brother's interests. I want to see this power you possess."

Jaden blanched.

" Wh-What are you talking about?"

" I want to see if you are indeed the one my brother has been searching for." The woman pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. She was very pretty, Lia noticed distantly. There was something sad about the way she held herself, though; a kind of melancholy that hung like a cloud over her and permeated from her every action like a heavy mist. Lia blinked. The woman was talking to Jaden about testing him, but there was a frown in the corners of her mouth, like she wanted to add something, but couldn't bring herself to. There was something familiar about her too, something Lia just couldn't put her finger on.

" I want to see if you're the one, Jaden."

If it had been a little earlier in her life, if Lia was still the cynical, closed off bitch she'd been at the beginning of her education at Duel Academy, if she still didn't really believe in friends , if she was a little younger, a little crueler, a hundred other small things that actually mattered, Lia would've snorted, dismissed the woman as insane (even though she was talking to them through a _mirror_), and walked off, intent on erasing the event from her mind.

But it wasn't the beginning of her first year at Duel Academy. It was the end of January of her second year, and Lia was fifteen, not fourteen. She'd gained friends she'd never thought she could have, not even in her wildest dreams. She'd opened her heart more than she thought it could ever be opened. She helped a boy to his dorm room and as he cried on her shoulder, she'd awkwardly put her arms around him and hugged him tight. She'd been strangled by a living, dark mist that had crept up her body and squeezed at her throat like a black python. She'd risked her entire academic career on one stupid, nearly suicidal gamble to get back what had been taken from her. She'd been kidnapped by a monkey and held hostage in a tree. She'd spent hours trying to clean a shirt because she didn't want the piece of fabric to win. She'd sat through the entirety of _La Miracle de la Vie_, diligently translating even as Jaden became whiter and whiter. She'd seen monsters appear in swirls of light, only to vanish in explosions. She'd talked about her father for the first time in years. She'd kissed her friends goodbye.

Lia was an entirely different person, and so no snort came from her. In fact, she felt no desire to laugh, despite the corniness of the woman's statement. Instead, there was a foreboding chill that seeped into her bones.

" Your brother's interests?" Bastian said, frowning. " Who is that exactly?"

" Can't you tell? My name is Sarina Nevin."

"You're _Sartorius'_ sister?" Jaden yelled in shock.

The woman, Sarina, nodded.

" I see my brother has already made a name for himself."

" He brainwashed two of our friends, not to mention the whole Blue Dorm!"

" He's been accelerating the plan." Sarina mumbled, frowning. " This is news to me."

" What?"

Sarina shook her head.

" No matter. My business is with you, Jaden."

" What exactly do you want with me?"

" It's not what I want. It's what Fate wants."

" Oh no." The Slifer groaned. " Not this crap again. Look, how many times do I have to tell you people, I don't believe in that Fate stuff. I make my own path."

" And that, my dear boy, is precisely why you may be the one." The mirror beside her flashed, and her image on it vanished. It was replaced by two figures lying in pods, hooked up to some machine. Lia didn't see the point of it until she caught sight of the yellow blurs on both the figures. The image got sharper, and Lia's breath got at the sight of Hassleberry and Syrus, dead to the world.

" What did you do to them?" She whispered, her voice unable to rise any higher in her fury.

" If they're hurt..." Jaden said darkly, the threat hanging clear in the air.

" They are unharmed." Sarina assured them. " Merely trapped in cyberspace."

" You want me to come and get them." Jaden said slowly.

" Of course."

" It's a trap." Bastian said suddenly, walking forward to put a hand on Jaden's shoulder. " Jaden, it's clearly a trap. Once you get there, she'll trap you in there with them."

" What choice do I have?" Jaden asked softly, shrugging the hand off. " She's got Hassleberry and Syrus. I can't just leave them there."

" What choice indeed?" Sarina murmured, the images of the two Ra's fading out of the mirror, replaced by Sarina's image once again. She looked even sadder than before, the droop of her eyes and the downward turn of her mouth giving her away.

" I'll go." Jaden confirmed, glaring at her.

" I never had any doubt." Abruptly, her eyes drifted upwards, and more mirrors shimmered into being.

" Aster, I expect to see you there too."

" Huh?" Lia jolted, and turned swiftly on her heel, eyes widening as she saw Aster Phoenix standing on the hill overlooking the campsite, glaring at the mirror. Her gaze drifted over to the RV he was leaning against, and mentally facepalmed when she realized that she'd missed it entirely when she'd walked up.

" What do you want me there for?" He spat. Lia was surprised to see the woman give him a sympathetic look.

" Aster, Sartorius might've been wrong. You might be the one he needs after all."

" What?" Aster's eyes were wide, but Lia was pretty sure she saw a gleam of hope in them.

" Come with Jaden to the park, and find out."

Aster's elation simmered down to suspicion again.

" How do I know this isn't a trick?"

" Aster." Sarina said softly. " Have I ever lied to you? Even once?"

The boy looked away, full subdued. He looked like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, Lia thought, frowning. From the way the two were talking, it sounded like they had some kind of pre-existing relationship. Of course, given that Sartorius had been Aster's manager (she knew that much of the story, anyway), it was entirely possible the two had formed a friendship during that time.

" No." Aster whispered, and Sarina smiled at him.

" Then I'll see you tomorrow."

Then, without warning, the mirrors began shattering. Jaden leapt back to avoid the shards of glass that came raining down on his head. Lia shielded her face with her hands, and waited until the sound of breaking glass had stopped. Tentatively, she lowered her arms. Jaden was standing, staring blankly at the spot where the mirror he'd been talking to had been. There were not shards on the ground, and Lia muttering something unflattering about magic under her breath in French.

" What the hell?" She breathed deeply, trying to wrap her head around what had just happened.

" Jaden."

They all turned to look at Aster, who had made his way down the hill and was looking at Jaden like the boy was his archrival.

" Aster?" Jaden responded, looking more weary than intimidated. Aster's eyes hardened until they reminded Lia of glacial ice.

" When we go there tomorrow, be ready. I won't let you be the one he needs."

* * *

Hey, how's everyone's week been? Good, I hope.

Well, it's late, and there isn't much that you can't figure out on your own, or won't be revealed in up-coming chapters, so I'm heading to bed.

Oh yeah, Sarina's basically saying, " Nice to meet you." (I think. I'm too tired to really care anymore. I'll care tomorrow. In between essays.) She's being very mocking about it. ...Mean character.

Okay, 'night all!

MoS


	27. Rushing Time

I'm sorry for being so sporadic with these things, but it's officially entered crunch time and university, and I'm basically using all my free time to write essays and take-home tests, or recharging for the next bout of essay writing. After the 17th of December, I'm done with my first semester, and should be able to get back into a steady schedule of updates. Until then, please just bear with me. I promise I'll try and make time in the essays to update. The good news is that, this coming week, two of them (rough drafts) will be handed in, so that's them, and the week after another is due, so that's that one. We're getting into the home stretch, so please, just be patient with me a little bit longer. That being said, I love you guys, and I really appreciate you all putting up with this. Thanks!

Warnings: Jaden...is insightful?

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

Jaden sighed as, for the third time in the five minutes since they'd entered the Kaibaland front entrance, Aster glanced in his direction and glared at the older boy as they ran towards the Kaibaland Virtual World Walk.

Jaden hated feeling like he was the older of the two of them. While it was true, Jaden preferred to look at people like they were equals. It was easier to get along with people when he didn't act like they were above or beneath him because of how many years they had under their belts. That was why he never looked at Alexis or Chazz and thought that they were his senpai. He wasn't an underclassman, and while he adored his friends and respected them, he didn't want to think of them as his superiors. It put an uncomfortable strain on any relationship, and that was why Jaden really didn't want to have to be the older, more responsible one in whatever strange form of friendship he was developing with Aster.

What the boy's problem was, Jaden had no idea, but it involved Sartorius, and it involved someone being 'the one', and most of all, it involved Syrus and Hassleberry being on the line, and that was the only reason Jaden was even going. If his friends weren't being held captive, then he was pretty sure he would've just let Aster deal with whatever the crazy mirror lady was going on about.

Aster shot him another glare and Jaden twitched.

Behind him, he heard Mr. Moto thank Bastian for the lift. Jaden glanced back, not entirely surprised to see that Bastian had the elderly man on his back, and was jogging. Lia was beside them, keeping pace, but stumbling, her eyelids drooping ever so often. Jaden winced as he realized she'd been kept up for most of the night, first by the explanation that Syrus and Hassleberry had been taken, then by Sarina and her completely unnecessary 'Mirror-mirror-on-the-wall' impression, and then finally, when both Aster and Jaden had decided to set out basically at dawn for Kaibaland.

Speaking of Aster...

The hairs on the back of Jaden's neck prickled again, and this time, he returned the glare with a baleful one of this own.

"Would you stop looking at me like I kicked you dog into on-coming traffic?"

Aster's ears went pink as he realized he'd been caught, and he broke eye contact.

" I'm not doing anything." He insisted. Jaden thought the boy sounded a little like his younger cousin, Fuyubi, when she was trying to pretend that he _hadn't_ just seen her steal his piece of cake off his plate.

" You're glaring at me every twenty seconds."

" I am not."

" Bro, I can see you. And frankly, it's getting kinda annoying. So either tell me what your problem is or cut it out, got it?"

Aster huffed.

"I don't have to explain myself to you."

" I don't _care _whether you explain yourself or not! Just stop glaring at me!"

" I'm _not_ glaring at you!"

" Well, not at this exact moment, no. But you were."

" Was not."

" Were too."

" Was not."

" Were too!"

" Was not!"

" Were too!"

"Was not!"

" _Shut up!_"

Lia stormed forward, shoving the two of them away from each other. Her hair was falling out of the hasty ponytail she'd whipped it into, she was paler than normal, and Jaden, with a stab of guilt, noticed the bags under her eyes. She gave them each a glare so vicious it made Jaden shake and Aster actually gulped audibly.

" Will you two _please_ stop behaving like you're in the first grade?" Her teeth were clenched together and the knuckles on the hands that were grabbing each of their collars were white. " If you don't cram it I will bash your heads on the sidewalk until they crack open like a couple of eggs, _got it_?"

" That's a little graphic." Aster muttered, and then yelped as he was yanked down even more by his shirt. Lia was nose to nose with him, almost snarling in his face. Aster paled rapidly.

" I said. _Shut. Up._"

Aster nodded quickly, his voice seeming to have left him.

" Good." She let him go. Aster's head bobbled a little, and he took a large step back from Lia's still glaring, tired face. There was a hint of respect under the fear in his eyes, and Jaden smiled at it, even as Lia grip in his shirt started to choke him.

"What're you smiling at?"

Jaden shook his head.

" Nothing."

" Wipe that stupid grin off your face."

It only grew bigger.

" Imbecile." She muttered, and shoved him lightly. Jaden leaned back, wincing at her as he rubbed the back of his neck where the shirt had dug into his skin.

" Take it easy, Koneko-chan. You're gonna pop a blood vessel at the rate you're going."

" Don't you have a card game to play and an opponent to annoy?"

" She's right, you know." Aster said, sounding a little peeved. But he wasn't glaring anymore, so Jaden counted it as them moving forward as friends. And he did want to be Aster's friend. There was something about him, in the way he moved and the words he used when he talked and a hundred other little things that most people would overlook, that made the pro-star seem so sad and alone. He was like a mixture of Syrus, Lia, and Chazz all at once, with Syrus' melancholy and Lia's loss and Chazz's anger at the world and desire to lash out at almost everyone. In the same vein, Jaden supposed that Aster needed the same kind of friend each of them had, and Jaden tailored himself to match. He would be the encouraging, open friend Syrus had needed, mix it with the persevering, accepting friend Lia had required, and tie it together with the empathetic, sometimes blunt friend he'd been to Chazz at the beginning. Jaden remembered saving each of them in little ways (Syrus' confidence and Chazz's happiness and Lia's breath-taking smile), and thought that maybe, just maybe, he could get through to Aster Phoenix too.

" Listen." He said softly as they started up the stairs. " Thanks for doing this."

" Don't get any crazy ideas about us suddenly being friends." Aster scoffed. " I'm doing this for _me_."

" Sounded to me like you're doing it for Sartorius." Jaden made sure he wasn't looking directly at Aster as he spoke, and he made sure not to break his stride either when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Aster go perfectly still, one foot frozen on the step above him.

" You don't know what you're talking about." He said harshly when he'd found his voice.

" Maybe not." Jaden shrugged. " But I know friendship when I see it. So stop trying to paint yourself up to be this totally selfish bastard when we both know that you aren't."

" You don't know a single thing about me." The metallic door pulled back. Behind him, Mr. Moto was yelling warnings about the virtual world, but all of Jaden's attention was focused on the narrow hallway that led to his friends, whatever state they were in.

" You'd be surprised by how much I've picked up on." His mouth was on auto-pilot as he started in, not even glancing back as he called, " Ji-chan, Bastian, you guys wait out here. Look after Koneko-chan for me."

Lia's indignant, " And what makes you think I _need_ looking after?" was all but lost on him as the door slowly sealed shut.

He started down the hallway, Aster at his side.

" Name one thing you know about me." The younger boy challenged, and Jaden sighed, realizing that yes, they _were_ going to verbally duke it out, as much as he wanted to avoid it.

" You play with the D-Heroes because your father made them for you. For one reason or another, one of those series got him killed. You don't know who did it, but you're desperate to find out. You call yourself a hero so you can feel closer to the monsters your father designed for you. You claim that you have an unchangeable destiny, probably because the idea of things just happening for no reason scares the hell outta you. You don't want your father's death to be random. You want it to be part of some grand design so that it has a greater significance. You most likely have a crippling fear of death, due to your traumatizing childhood, and claiming that fate is in control of your life helps you deal with that. You know Sartorius on a personal level, and I'm willing to bet my deck he's a lot more than just your manager. And, judging by the way you were talking last night, he might not be the bad guy we all think he is." Jaden gave a sardonic smile. " Am I getting close?"

Aster had stopped walking. In fact, he's stopped moving all together. The boy was gaping at Jaden, jaw hanging open. He opened and closed it several times, trying to form words, but only succeeded in looking like a goldfish. A stuttering noise came out of his mouth, but beyond that, he seemed incapable of stringing together a sentence. Jaden fought back the urge to pump his fist in the air in victory, and instead settled for looking unbearably smug while mentally patting himself on the back and engaging in a victory dance.

" Thought so." He kept walking. Towards the end of the hallway, he heard rapid footfalls sound behind him. Aster caught up, still looking at the older boy like a cow might look at an on-coming bus.

" ...How?" He managed at length, after several false starts. Jaden shrugged.

" You hang around with as many girls as I did in elementary school and junior high, and you find women's intuition can rub off on you." He paused. " Incidentally, I also think you probably latch onto any father-figure you can find."

" I...you...what?" Aster protested weakly.

"And you wear that suit because it makes you feel professional and grown up, instead of the kid you really are."

" I'm not a kid!" Aster shouted, going red in the face. " And who are you to judge, anyway? You're only a year older than I am!"

Jaden looked at him from the side, a bit of steel entering his gaze. Aster backed down suddenly, thoroughly cowed by the hard look in his companion's eyes. While Jaden didn't like feeling like the older one between them, there were certain times when he acknowledged that he'd lived a whole year longer than Aster, and sometimes, that year counted for a hell of a lot. After all, it was during that year that Jaden had dueled in shadows, had a key pressed against his chest, and stood before gods who could be demons and survived their punishment for his insolence.

" Go up against something you have no shot against, unarmed and totally unprepared, and come back alive." Jaden said coldly. " Then you can tell me to stop calling you a kid."

And he walked past Aster, pushing the button to open the door at the end of the hallway. He opened his mouth to shout, ready to call for his friends, but the second the door opened and both he and Aster had set foot inside, a brilliant, blinding light exploded from every angle. Jaden's hands automatically came up to shield his face. Beside him he heard Aster give a pain-filled grunt.

" What the hell, man?"

Jaden shook his head, swearing under his breath in his native tongue, and trying to keep himself conscious even as the light seemed to swallow him whole, his senses leaving him.

He succeeded for all of about thirty seconds.

* * *

" Jaden! Jaden wake up!"

Jaden groaned, trying to bury his face deeper into the pillow. Above him Syrus kept calling plaintively, shaking his shoulders with something that might've been panic. Jaden frowned as the pillow refused to yield to him, then brought his arms under his head to cushion it.

" Five mo' minutes, Sy." He yawned, keeping his eyes firmly closed against the light he knew was streaming in from the open window. " W're n't gunna be late."

" Jaden, wake up right now!"

" Alright, alright, jeez!" Jaden hefted himself up off the bed, which seemed unusually hard. Maybe he'd slept funny. Stretching, he yawned and turned his head, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. And came face to face with a small, bright yellow, teary eyed car.

" Hi Jay!" It squeaked, in Syrus' voice, and Jaden felt the world drop out from under him

" Oh god, please tell me I'm still dreaming."

" No." Aster said, pulling himself to his feet behind the Slifer. " I see it too."

" I'm not an it!" The car insisted, and Jaden reached out to gently touch the hood.

" Syrus?"

The car nodded.

" Yeah, it's me. Sorry. I got caught again."

" At least you're in one piece this time." Jaden patted the hood affectionately. The car –Syrus, he mentally corrected – beamed at him.

" No roaring, no darkness, no beasts. This is much better. All I gotta put up with is Bones-for-Brains."

" I heard that!" There was a thunderous noise, like an earthquake just starting, and then an enormous T-Rex peeked out from behind one of the glass buildings, smiling as it saw Jaden.

" Sarge, ya came ta rescue me!"

" Us!" Syrus squeaked indignantly. " He came to rescue _us_!"

The dinosaur looked sheepish.

" Rahght, sorry. Us."

Aster looked up at the towering reptile with a raised eyebrow.

" What happened to you two?"

" We got inta it with a couple o' Sarina's thugs." The dinosaur explain, hunkering down into a crouch and making the ground shake as he did. " At the very end of it, Frost, that yellow-bellied, little shit made an attack that took us all out, even his partner. 'Course, it wasn't lahke he got away without a few battle scars."

" Huh?" Jaden asked, but was distracted by Syrus starting grumble. Hassleberry just laughed, showing off a row of razor sharp teeth.

" Ol' Frost made a mistake. Called Prahvate Trusedale here sum name or sumthin', and the next thing I knew, this soldier had his foot in that bastard's face and started cursin' lahke a sailor. Broke his nose and everythin'. It was awesome!"

Jaden turned to the little car.

" You broke his nose?"

It was amazing that, even as a car, Syrus still managed to bristle up.

" He called me a weak nobody! I wasn't gonna take that!"

" Sounds reasonable to me." Aster chimed in. Jaden sent him a withering look.

" Says the vigilante."

" Why _is_ Aster here anyway?" Syrus asked, looking a little too eager to change the subject.

Both boys opened their mouths to respond, Aster with a line about destiny and Jaden with the desire to put out any potential fires between Aster and Hassleberry, but the answer came from another source.

" He's here so I can find out if my brother was wrong."

The buildings around them started to fade. Jaden got sight of one just before it vanished, and a cold chill went through him as he saw the faces of Blaze and T-Bone, trapped in its reflective surface. A second later the space was empty, and all around them were dark green micro chips with gold lines running through them. Jaden stood slowly, still staring at the spot where Blaze and T-Bone's horrified faces had looked back at him, and turned to face the woman he knew was standing there.

She was standing several meters away. Jaden took note of the fact that she was dressed in traditional shrine maiden garb, from her white haori to her zouri sandals. Her hair was longer than he'd thought it was, but other than that, she looked like she had in the mirror several hours before, and just the sight of her sent Jaden's hackles rising.

" Sarina." Aster hissed at his side, glaring at the woman with far more anger than Jaden would've expected, given the way they'd spoken on the hill.

The woman bowed to them

" Irasshaimase."

" What?" Aster asked in confusion at the same time Jaden exploded with, " Kore wo naosu!" and pointed at his two friends.

" Sumimasen, demo watashi wa houhou wo omoidashimasen." Sarina said teasingly, and Jaden felt his vision go red.

" Onibaba!" He snarled, stepping forward. Sarina clucked her tongue disapprovingly.

" Now, now, there's no need for that language."

"Shut up." The Slifer hissed. " What did you do to them?"

" Nothing permanent." Sarina flicked one of her long bangs over her shoulder. " I merely made sure that I had something to bargain with when you arrived."

" And me?" Aster challenged suddenly. " What am _I_ doing here?"

The woman turned to look at him, and Jaden was, underneath all his anger (because _no one_ messed with his friends. Not teachers playing favourites, not monsters in the dark corners, and certainly not some corrupted shrine maiden.), surprised as her eyes softened when she looked at the other boy.

" Aster, are you really asking me that question?" She whispered, and Aster winced.

" Sartorius told me he read the cards wrong. It's _him_ he needs, not me!" Aster indicated Jaden with his head.

" My brother is a great prophet, but even his visions aren't foolproof." Sarina sighed. " There's a chance he read the cards right the first time."

" So then..." Aster whispered, and there was such a note of dawning, breathless hope in his voice that it made Jaden feel sorry for the boy, " ...I could be the one he needs after all? I could be the one who'll save him?"

" Why do you think we all met on that day?" Sarina said, her voice dropping even more. " There must've been a reason you came running into the graveyard at the exact time we were paying our respects. There is no way you aren't integral to my brother's plan, Aster. One way or another, Sartorius will need you."

" But I thought I was supposed to save him." Aster sounded confused. Syrus shot Jaden a look, but the other boy ignored it in favour of staring at the desperate gleam of hope that was shining out of Aster's eyes. His face was flushed, and, for a second, he looked almost like one of the Society members, devoted and crazy and lost in some swirling vortex where Jaden couldn't follow.

" We'll see where your path leads." Sarina murmured. Then her head snapped up, and the gentle, almost motherly figure who'd just been comforting Aster vanished, and in her place was the smug, sneaky adversary who'd capture Syrus and Hassleberry. She laughed, and it was a cruel sound. Jaden winced.

" Why do I think is gonna end badly?" He muttered.

A split second later, he found himself proven right as a long, silver line cut Sarina vertically down the middle. She stepped to the right and left on either side of the line, and Jaden's jaw dropped as Two Sarina's stood before him, identical smirks on their faces.

" Did she just undergo mitosis?" He quipped before he could stop himself. Syrus groaned behind him.

" Jaden, focus." Aster chastised. " We're gonna have to tag duel her to win." Jaden nodded, feeling the duel disk appear on his arm. He shifted to accommodate for the weight.

" Okay."

" But I'm dueling for me, and me alone, got that?"

" Yeah, because that's the attitude we want in a tag duel." Jaden muttered. " Are you sure I can't just partner with Syrus?"

" Uh, Aniki? I'm a car."

" Yeah, but at least you'll make an _effort_ in the teamwork department."

" So we have a deal then?" One of the Sarinas (he was going to call her Sarina A) asked. " If I win, the Chosen comes with me, and if you win, I set everything back to the way it was."

" No pressure." Jaden sighed, and activated his duel disk. Aster did the same.

" Let's get this over with."

" At least try to _pretend_ we can function as a team."

And then Sarina (A, he thought) summoned Spirit Ukyou, and Jaden's mind narrowed until all he could see was the duel.

* * *

So, here, at long last, in the opening for the Sarina duel. There's not much here that you can't figure out on your own, except the Japanese.

" Irasshaimase." - Welcome.

" Kore wo naosu!" - Fix this!

" Sumimasen, demo watashi wa houhou wo omoidashimasen." - I can't remember how, or something to that effect.

" Onibaba!" - Hig, Witch, Bitch, etc. Jaden's pissed, if you couldn't tell.

And that's about it. See you all soon for the next one.

MoS


	28. Waiting Game

Warnings: Jaden is very traumatized. I make sure you know it in this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX._

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

When Sarina A had played Full Moon Mirror, Jaden hadn't been too worried. A little freaked out by the moss-green cocoon covered in eyes, maybe, but not worried.

When she'd had Ukyou attack him, he'd taken the blast with as much dignity as he could, given that his entire body was being wracked with pain.

When she'd used her mirror trap card, and then recalled it again later, Jaden had begun to feel a little annoyed. The attacks no longer hurt as badly, because, frankly, after the first attack on him in a duel, Jaden was usually able to shut down the part of his mind that went around screaming, " Fuck! That _hurt!_" every time some blast of heat or explosion slammed into him. But it was starting to get very irritating very quickly.

When Silver Spirit Redirection showed up on Sarina B's side of the field, and Aster pulled some fancy manoeuvres out of nowhere to destroy Sakyou, Jaden found that, aside from the relief that Aster could hold his own against an enemy he was familiar with, and the worry over the fate of his friends, Jaden was starting to bypass annoyed and go right to pissed.

He'd gone to Duel Academy to learn how to be the King of Games. He'd gone because he wanted the education the school had to offer, and maybe make a few more dueling friends, who weren't likely to slip into comas if he lost to them. He'd never asked to get mixed up in the problems with the Shadow Riders. He'd never asked to be a Spirit Key Keeper. He hadn't even asked to go up against Kagemaru and the Sacred Beasts. One by one, each responsibility was heaped on him, as though it would only be natural that he wanted yet _another_ task on his plate.

And he was getting really fed up with it.

No one asked him if he wanted to be a part of this grand scheme of Sartorius'.

No one asked him if he wanted to bring down the Society of Light, single-handedly, one duel at a time.

No one asked - in fact, hadn't asked him the year before either - if he wanted to save the world.

Everyone just assumed that he was going to do it, and left him to his own devices.

And now, some woman he'd never even met was happily shovelling more problems at him without a care in the world.

Jaden didn't _want_ to be 'the one'. He didn't want to be destined for anything other than a good meal and soft bed at the end of the day. Let Aster save Sartorius; let Aster stop the Society of Light. Jaden had gone through hell and back, and his experiences there didn't exactly make him eagerly anticipate a return. He had just wanted a nice, normal year, with tests and pop quizzes and duels where the fate of the world wasn't hanging in the balance. Apparently, even a normal afternoon off with his friends was too much to ask for. Chazz and Alexis were in the Society, Bastian was slipping away even as Jaden drew another card and glared at Nayuta, Syrus and Hassleberry were getting dragged into the mess and had no way out, and even Lia seemed jumpier and paler than usual, shaking whenever Sartorius happened to be in sight. Everything was going wrong, and Jaden could see no remedy to the current situation.

At least, not one that didn't involve card games, a sense of determination that bordered on mule-like stubbornness, and his own dumb luck that always seemed to see him through.

Jaden sighed as Sarina (oh god, which one was it? He was just so tired of all the shit that had been going on that he could barely keep them apart)...A, he was pretty sure, ordered an attack. He watched the crimson streaks of light coming towards him with a certain detachment he was pretty sure he wouldn't have been able to manage last year.

" Oh, this won't be fun." The redness hit him, and he felt like he was burning. " No, definitely not fun."

He heard Syrus and Hassleberry cheer him on, but he was more focused on trying to make his arm move so he could play his cards. His arm hung dead at his side for a moment, oblivious to his brain's commands, and for a split second, Jaden remembered the arm the shadows had twisted wickedly, and the way it had hung, useless and _broken_ from his shoulder, little rivulets of blood slithering down to drip off his fingers and pain coursing like electrical currents all over his body. For a second, Jaden forgot how to breathe, and then his fingers twitched in response and his vision cleared. He wasn't down in that dark crypt, contemplating making it his grave. He was in cyberspace, Aster at his side, two Sarinas at his front, and a long-haired girl in a pale, lavender kimono and a cat mask leaping back from her attack.

He didn't even have to think when he played Pot of Greed.

" Okay, lessee here." He muttered, ignoring the weird looks both Aster and his friends were giving him. Sarina alone continued to contemplate him, her eyes neither encouraging nor damning. " Wildheart and Necroshade into Necroid Shaman." Now, the question was, did he use his Shaman's special ability or not?

' If I send Nayuta to the Graveyard, then I can replace her with Ukyou, who is much weaker.' He frowned. ' But Ukyou and Sakyou are linked. There's a pretty good chance calling one calls the other. Do I risk it?' He shook his head in frustration. ' Whatever I do, whatever card I play, there's always going to be a risk. What I need is a back-up plan.'

He was almost ready to stare tearing his hair out in frustration because (two of his friends were on the line, and Sarina kept going on about tests and chosen ones and a whole bunch of other nonsense and Aster wasn't being helpful in the least and Jaden just wanted to lie down and sleep until this had all gone away. )he was getting sick and tired of everything. And then, his gaze fell to his hand, and he had to fight to keep the smile from taking over his face.

' Perfect!' He thought giddily, and motioned to Necroid.

" I'll use my Necroid's special effect to send Nayuta to the Graveyard, and replace her with a much weaker monster. So, come back, Silver Spirit Ukyou!"

A flash of light, and the bandaged wrapped spirit appeared again by Sarina A's side of the field.

She gave him a cold smirk.

" That was a mistake. You see, when Ukyou is summoned, Sakyou comes back."

' Bingo.' Jaden thought as an identical monster appeared by Sarina B.

" What do you think you're doing?" Aster shouted, looking angry and upset. " I worked hard to get rid of the Boogieman twins and you screw that up in your next turn? What the hell, man?"

" Have some faith, would ya?" Jaden glanced down at his hand again. He had to time it just right.

" Are you going to make a move?" Sarina goaded. Jaden rolled his eyes. People seemed to think that because he was hyper, he was easy to anger. But that was a misconception he'd used to his advantage time and again. He didn't have a quick temper. Hell, he barely had a temper at all. Jaden was very slow to anger, and that was why his fury was so potent and deadly. Annoyance, frustration, even the occasional twinge of dislike, all came and went like shifting winds, but it had been a long time since Jaden had gotten well and truly angry. The only time last year he could honestly remember was facing down Kagemaru, and watching Winged Kuriboh coo weakly as the Beasts sucked the life out of it.

And this year, it was only when Chazz had attacked Cyber Tutu that he'd felt the telltale lick of fury's flames at his heart.

" Well, thanks to Necroshade being in the Graveyard, I get to summon another hero." He slapped a card down on the disk. Blade Edge, gleaming gold even in the pale, creepy light coming from the moon Sarina had summoned overhead, came onto the field.

' _Having fun yet_?' He asked roughly, nodding to Necroid, Jaden, and then, after a moment's hesitation, Aster. The pro-star jumped at the acknowledgement, his eyes widening even as Blade Edge turned away and faced his opponent.

' Was it necessary to freak him out like that?' The rebuke in his words was lost as he grinned at the golden monster.

Blade Edge shrugged.

' _I felt like it_.'

' Down boy.' Jaden said, his grin fading as he looked over at the two Sarinas. ' Focus on our opponent.'

' _She's got power_.' Blade Edge observed. ' _And the skill to utilize it_.'

' Tell me about it. You wanna help me take down a priestess?'

Blade Edge's mouth was hidden under a metallic covering of gold. Still, it didn't stop the feeling of the feral grin Jaden just _knew_ his monster was giving from making itself known. It was all the answer he needed.

" Are you actually going to do something , or am I dueling her by myself?" Aster snapped, his nerves clearly on edge. Jaden grinned.

" Diffusion." He pressed the card into its slot. When his two monsters had separated, he pointed to Wildheart. " Go get her, buddy."

" You fool!" Sarina crowed as Wildheart shot forward. " Have you forgotten about my trap?"

" Sarge!" Hassleberry shouted, at the same time Aster started railing at him. Only Syrus, in his silence, supported Jaden.

Wildheart slammed into Sakyou, destroying it, as Sarina fruitlessly tried to activate her trap.

" But...how?" Jaden let the smug grin he'd been fighting off stretch his lips.

" Wildheart is immune to all traps. Sorry." He knew he didn't sound like he was, but he was too elated to care. He was one step closer to saving Syrus and Hassleberry, and that was what mattered to him.

" And now, get ready to rumble. Necroshade." He nodded to the red monster. " Direct attack."

Necroshade vanished from Jaden's side, only to reappear behind Sarina. The woman stood, unaware and looking in every direction, until the monster dealt her a punishing blow across her back. Jaden winced as her body arched away from the cut and a scream erupted from her lips, even as Necroshade reappeared beside him.

' That was a little harsh, don't you think?' He got no response, but he hadn't exactly been expecting one. Of all his monsters, Necroshade was the most aloof, and least talkative. Of course, Burstinatrix more than made up for it, chattering on about whatever subject had taken her fancy at the moment. Jaden sighed.

" Blade Edge, say hello to Ukyou for me, would ya?"

As Ukyou fell with a muffled shout, Jaden reached up to rub his sore shoulders. Across from him, one of the Sarinas (with his eyes closed to ward off the stress that was building behind them, he couldn't tell his opponents apart)announced that she was laying down two face down cards, and then it was Aster's turn. Jaden heard him sacrifice Fear Monger (Fear Monger. Doom Lord. Dread Master. Jaden had to wonder, much as he respected the man for coming up with such awesome monsters, what Aster's father had been thinking when he'd gotten around to naming the cards. Honestly, they might have looked amazing and powerful, but if they didn't sound like they'd come from a bad Saturday morning cartoon, then they sounded like something that had crawled out of Pandora's Box when she'd unleashed misery on the world.), and, using one of the cards he'd gotten from Pot of Greed, summoned Double Dude. Jaden opened his eyes, head still tilted back, as the swirl of lights made the insides of his lids flash funny colours.

And his gaze fell on the moon.

It was more than half dark. Jaden started at that, because he was pretty sure it had been full when the game had begun. Hastily, even as Sakyou and Ukyou made another appearance, he looked down at the cocoon, gulping as he realized that what he'd thought were shut eyes were really covered, perfectly circular mirrors. There were, as far as he could tell, at least half open, maybe more. Beside him, Double Dude launched an attack with a long chain that had a wicked looking sickle at the end. It slammed into Sakyou, who vanished yet again. Jaden looked away from the mirrored cocoon just in time to catch the end of Aster's explanation.

" –ever a monster is destroyed by my D-Chain, you lose 500 lifepoints. Not to mention the fact that Double Dude lives up to his name." The monster in question shifted until it was in its other form, long hair flying out wildly behind him and red eyes glowing. " Go for it!"

The chain went flying again, and Ukyou was gone too. Jaden opened his mouth and was about to congratulate Aster on such a brilliant move when a flash of light on Sarina A's side caught his attention. One of the closed 'lids' had opened, revealing yet another mirror. As Jaden watched, the light seemed to dim even more, and he looked up. The moon had darkened even more, the blackness beginning to round out towards the outer edge of the light side of it.

Jaden froze.

" Gessou." He whispered. There was only a small sliver of light moon left. Out of the corner of his eye, Jaden saw a card go up on Sarina A's side as she activated it, and tore his gaze from the moon.

" I play Buried Soul Talisman! Because two of my monsters went to the Graveyard, I get to summon a monster that's a level five. And in addition, the monster that did the damage gets destroyed."

An ofuda with no inscription attached itself to Double Dude's forehead. Jaden winced as the monster was destroyed. His head swivelled to look at the cocoon, wear one last mirror had been revealed. Looking up at the moon, Jaden felt his stomach drop as he saw that it has gone completely dark.

" Shingetsu."

" Jay, pay attention!" Jaden jumped at the sound of his nickname. Then he had to fight to keeping his jaw in place as he realized it hadn't been Syrus or Hassleberry, but _Aster_ who'd made the call. The other boy was glaring with clenched teeth and clenched fists as Sarina B, who not only had another spirit monster on her field (this one in a dull, rusty haori, sporting the same headgear as Ukyou and Sakyou), but on Sarina A's side was Magic Mirror Spirit Nayuta. Jaden felt her glare through her mask.

" Aster, look at the moon." Jaden said with trepidation.

" What?"

" Just look at the moon, bro."

" What are you on abou-Wha the hell? What happened to it?"

" That's what I'd like to know."

" I'll play this face down." Aster muttered without his usual confidence, not taking his eyes off of the now new moon.

" You okay?"

" I'm fine, it's just-!" Aster cut himself off abruptly, and Jaden turned. The question on his lips died as he took in the look of horror on Aster's face.

" Aster?"

" L-Look down." Was all the boy could manage, his gaze fixed on his feet. Jaden looked down, and felt the world stop turning.

Because there, at his feet, was dark mist.

* * *

_Suddenly, as if awakened by his tiny movement, the world around him began to shift and twist, squeezing this way and that, pushing his body all around. Something pushed hard on his chest, and his mouth flew open to release the air that was forced up. At the breath escaped him, something coiled around his middle, pulling him upright (but what was upright? What was up and down in this insane, spiralling world that he couldn't see?) as he struggled to take another breath. The stuff (he was beginning to wonder if it didn't somehow resemble the black mist Lia had complained about when he'd dared to question her about the thick, purple marks that branded her pale throat) slid over his mouth, covering it, choking off his air. Another, thick strand, so heavy he could actually __feel__ it settling on his face, clamped down on his eyes, melding itself onto his skin, forcing him to remain blind._

_Frantically, he tried to raise his hands to his face, but found them bound at his sides as the substance thickened and became heavier, seeping into his clothes and wrapping around his body, melding itself into hardened, black coils that hung from his arms and legs like twisted, ripe fruit from a tree. Choking again, he tried to move his limbs, but the weight held them firm, hanging uselessly at his side. His lungs burned, but the grip of the strange blackness around him had not lessened, and his eyes watered under the thick limb laying over them._

_' __Am I…__' His mind whispered faintly, ' __…going to die? Here, in a place like this?__'_

* * *

_Another rip at his head, and Jaden felt it being forced back, tilting farther and farther until his throat was completely exposed, his eyes beginning to roll back into his head at the pain intensified. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He scraped his already bleeding fingers uselessly against the rock, trying vainly to push the pain out with each little dig he made into the sacred stone and its carvings. The noise dug relentlessly into the one little corner of his brain, twisting and drilling and pulling, burrowing itself in like a mole. The hand fisted in his hair began tugging, as if to pull the noise out of his mind, but all that came loose was a clump of brown and orange hair that slithering out form in between his fingers as the shadows danced through them._

_Breathing hard, but not feeling any of it reach his lungs Jaden let the tiniest whimper cross his lips as he felt his grip on the stone loosen. Below him, enough of a ways down to do damage, laid the barren, harsh bedrock that served at a base for the Spirit Gates. If he fell as he was now, Jaden had no doubt that his head would smash into the unforgiving rock first, and it would most likely kill him. His mind would be dead, and the pain would no longer be able to reach him._

_He slowly uncurled his fingers._

* * *

_The shadows around him sprang to life, twisting around him and clawing at his clothes, menacing visages suddenly appearing in them, baring gleaming white fangs and glowing red eyes. Jaden eyed them apathetically as they ripped his clothes and tore at his skin, drawing blood. Trickles of red leaked down his arms, and stained his white pants. The shadows curled closer, traveling up his body, merging together into a great, shifting mass of darkness that squeeze at his lungs and pulled at his throat. A cold, steely hand closed around his neck, but Jaden didn't blink. He looked into the gleaming red eyes of the thing, and felt the slow burning begin in his chest._

_" __**This is love."**__ The voices whispered. __**" This great pain is love. Those wounds on your body are love. That blood pouring out of you is love. That choking hand on your neck is love. It brings you nothing but pain, little boy. No strength, no greatness. You have nothing but your own weak heart and your foolish ideals."**_

_Jaden lowered his head so that his bangs fell into his eyes and shielded them from sight. The shadows pressed harder against his ribs, and twisted over his arms, something giving way with a sickening crack as it twisted much too hard. It dangled uselessly at his side, drops of red falling from the fingers that were twitching in residual pain._

_Jaden didn't move._

* * *

Jaden gasped, stumbling backwards, sweating pouring from his face. He tried reach up to wipe the salty beads of liquid that kept falling into his eyes, only to find that his hands were already pressed to his face, ice cold and shaking, his fingers splayed so that he could peek out in between them. His mouth was clamped tightly shut. He was breathing through his nose; huge, uneven breathes that made his body heave in time with them. His heart was stuttering in his ears, pounding so hard he was sure it would burst, bloody and fluttering like a startled bird's wing, from his chest.

" Jaden?" Aster said, looking at him like he'd never seen him before. Jaden supposed he was quite a sight, but he just couldn't bring himself to move. He was half sure this was all a dream, and he was actually back in that black chamber that was more a tomb than anything, and the Beasts were toying with him.

' _Jaden_.' Neos said firmly in his ear. ' _Calm down_.'

' I'm scared.' Jaden thought before he could stop it. ' Neos, I'm lost and I'm shaking and I'm just so fucking scared that I can't think straight! I can't breathe and I can't move and I don't want to be so scared but I _am_! I can't be back there, please, anything but that!'

' _Jaden, it's alright._' It was Burstinatrix now, enveloping him in the warmth that always permeated off of her body.

' _We're here now_.' Aquos whispered. ' _You will never have to face that place alone again_.'

' _We will never let you be alone again._' Flare Scarab promised, but it was Syrus' plaintive whimper that made Jaden move. The fact that Syrus too, had been in that darkness, and had survived far longer, struck home, and Jaden hated himself for feeling so afraid. After all, if Syrus had the courage to go from day to day with the memory of that hanging over his head, then so should Jaden.

He forced his hands away from his face. They immediately wrapped around his body, which was still trembling, but at least he could see again. With great effort, he unclenched his jaw, and refused to look at Aster.

" 'M fine." He croaked, and winced at how raw his voice sounded.

" What the hell was _that_?" The pro-star pressed, and Jaden let out a humourless laugh.

" Hey, you have your traumas and I'll have mine, okay. Now, what's the deal with," he pointed shakily to the mist, and sucked his breath in slowly, " this?"

" For each monster destroyed, the Full Moon Mirror grows in strength. And now that ten have been destroyed, it's finally ready." Sarina explained, eyeing him in a speculative light. " The true test begins now."

" Then what was all that before hand?" Aster snarled, too distracted to worry about Jaden, for which the Slifer was thankful. He was very careful not to look behind him, where he could feel both of his friends' eyes burning into the back of his head.

" Was it all some fucking joke or something?" Aster continued, gathering steam as he went.

' _I like him_.' Burstinatrix whispered in his mind, and he could feel her smile. It made his breathing even out as he stretched his senses out and was rewarded with the sensation of his monsters all around him. Burstinatrix was at his back, one arm thrown casually around him shoulders, leaning in and whispering in his ear like they were sharing secrets. Avion was by her side, one of his wings curved so that it shielded Jaden, the tips of the feathers brush his opposite shoulder. Blade Edge was sitting down in between Jaden and Avion, occasionally holding a conversation with Burstinatrix. Necroshade and Neos stood off to the side, silent, steady presences that soothed him with their energy alone. Bubbleman had dragged Aquos into a conversation on Jaden's other side, and Clayman was leaning over their shoulders, occasionally throwing comments in. Sparkman was by Avion, shaking his head as Blade Edge said something that caused Burstinatrix to lean down and clock him, flushing as she did so.

' _He's as hot-headed as you are_.' Avion agreed, glancing at Aster, who was still mid-rant, but had shifted topics to something about Sartorius and Sarina never really caring about him and just using him to further their plans.

' _And what does that mean?_' Burst started glaring.

' _You fire types have such tempers_.' Sparkman explained, and jumped back as Flare Scarab flickered into being beside him.

' _You got something against fire types, Sparks?_'

' _Easy, Scara, he didn't mean anything by it._' Air Hummingbird insisted as he followed Scarab.

Jaden looked around at his bickering monsters and breathed a sigh of relief. He felt safe and warm, protected from every obstacle life was going to hurl at him. With his monsters around him, Jaden was sure he could've taken on the entire Society of Light in one go and won. He felt invincible and unstoppable, as if nothing could ever go wrong again. He smiled.

' I think...I'm gonna be okay.'

Then Sarina sacrificed her Nayuta and Asogi, and Jaden found himself staring up a hulking, ugly mess of scales, limbs, and spikes, with one sickly yellow eye and three thousand attack points that called itself the Dark Creator.

Jaden gulped.

' Scratch that. I'm doomed.'

* * *

Can I just say, Yay for monsters interacting! I love writing these guys. Burst and Scara are so much fun!

Gessou - Phase of the moon/ moon phase.

Shingetsu - new moon. Totally black, new moon. And I apologize for this, but I just cannot resist: Hah! In your FACE Twilight! I made MY new moon scary! Hah! Hah, I say!

...

Sorry.

Anywho, I think that's about it for this chapter. Yes, Jaden is sick of everybody just going, " Oh, the world's ending? Call in Jaden, he won't mind." He does, in fact, mind. He wants a life of his own too, people. So yeah, I wanted to explore that idea with this Jaden. He'll save the world, but, honestly? He just wants a normal school year and a normal life.

...

Sucks to him, doesn't it?

I'll see you all sometime next weekend, as, until essay season and exam time is over (Dec. 17th), I will be moving updates to the weekends because, frankly, I need my Fridays to myself. Sorry, but I need some time to recharge before heading back into the fray.

See you soon.

MoS


	29. Crumbling Bonds

Warnings: This is gonna get sad.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

Aster was so mad he could hardly see straight.

Agreeing to go with Jaden to confront Sarina had only happened because Aster had wanted some answers. He'd listened to Sartorius for more years than he could remember, the promise of saving his friend hanging over like both a medal of honour and a warrant of execution. It was everything he hoped to achieve and everything he feared all wrapped up in one. It was all he desired to do (besides find his father's murderer), but at the same time, he was afraid to do it. He was so scared that he wouldn't live up to Sartorius's expectations; so sure he'd end up failing his friend like he'd failed his father, that the very thought of going into battle for Sartorius always sent a wave of anticipation and nausea ripping through him.

Jaden had been right about one thing, at least. Aster was afraid of death, in his own way. He was afraid of Time. He was afraid of it moving forward without him, just as it had moved forward when they'd found his father's body in the river, despite the fact that for Aster, the hands of the clock had slammed to a deafening halt. He was constantly wondering how much time he had left, and whether or not he was making good use of it. He wanted to advance, to move beyond the person that he'd been only a second ago, but there were times when he was so sure that he hadn't changed at all, that he was still that scared little boy who'd heard a noise in the night, and walked into his father's office to investigate only to find him gone, that it kept him up at night.

(Jaden had been right about more than one thing. The D-Heroes were his only link to his father. They were the only proof, besides a headstone and a nice inscription that meant jack shit to anyone who'd actually known Aidan Phoenix, that his father had existed. Aster loved them more than anything in the world, and would defend them through fire and hail. He didn't like the idea of things not happening for no reason. He wanted his father's death to be tragic, but necessary to the grand scheme of things. He couldn't bear the thought of his father dying being just 'a tragic accident'. It was more than his heart could take, and he would fight tooth and nail, read meanings into the most mundane things, seek answers from even crackpots and fakers, if it meant that that night had some higher meaning.)

So when Sartorius had told him that he might not be 'the one', Aster had experienced a split second of elated relief before the anger and betrayal had come crashing down. If he wasn't supposed to save Sartorius, then who was? If he wasn't supposed to save his friend, then who the hell could? There was no one in the world who could understand Sartorius better than he did, so how could anyone exist who was better suited to saving the fortune teller than his best friend? It had sent his world crashing down around him, ripping him up and destroying everything he'd ever thought he'd understood. If he wasn't supposed to save his friend, who knew what else he wasn't supposed to do. Maybe he was never meant to find his father's killer. Maybe he wasn't the hero he thought he was. Maybe he was just some kid, lost and stupid and afraid, wandering around and making boasts he couldn't fulfill.

And then to hear Jaden, his rival now in more ways than one, call him a kid was more than his pride was able to stomach. He'd tried to lash out, to make the older boy back down, but the look that had entered Jaden's eyes when Aster had protested had been more than enough to shut the younger boy up. He'd never seen Jaden look so serious, as though a dark cloud had passed over his face, blotting out his usually sunny personality. It was honestly a little scary.

At the same time, Aster had to admire Jaden. He, at least, seemed to have mastered the secret to moving on from being the person he'd been in the previous second.

That was why, even though Sarina's Dark Creator was staring him down with no friendly light in its gleaming, yellow eye, and the other nine, smaller ones were hissing wickedly at him, Aster didn't flinch as badly as he might have. After all, Jaden didn't seem too worked up.

" God, those things are ugly." Aster winced, looking at the Dark Creators that littered Sarina's side of the field.

" I've seen worse." Jaden shrugged, not looking up from his cards.

" Name one thing uglier." The pro-star challenged, not actually sure why he was bantering back and forth with the Slifer. It kept him from freaking out, he supposed, and his temper was slowly simmering down. The haze of red that had been lining his vision for most of the latter half of the duel had finally cleared. Aster supposed that Jaden's laid-back attitude was starting to rub off on him, but Jaden had been acting rather seriously for most of the duel.

" Sacred Beasts." Jaden said without looking up. Behind them, Aster heard the Syrus-car give a shudder.

" What now?" He blinked in confusion. Jaden shook his head, shooting Aster a look.

" Ask me after we get outta here." Jaden was looking at their side of the field, narrowing his eyes as his gaze fell on the Dark Creators they were staring down. " You can't do it."

" I'm sorry?"

Jaden shook his head quickly, pointing at Sarina's side of the field.

" Not you, them. I don't think they can attack unless there are monsters on our side of the field."

Aster blinked, and looked at the empty space between them.

" I think you're right." A slow smile worked its way onto his face. " And that means she can't attack as long as we don't have any."

" You know, we could use a little more of this."

" More of what? You and me having mutual realizations?"

" No, _teamwork_."

" Sorry, dude, I work alone."

" Hate to be the one to break this to you, but we're in a tag duel. You don't get that option."

" Rain on my parade, why don'tcha."

" Just give it a chance, would ya?"

" I don't do well with _groups_."

" Okay, forget teamwork. We'll work our way up to that. Can you at least _try_ to get along with me?"

" I dunno, that's asking an awful lot..."

"Aster!"

" What? You're like, my extreme opposite, dude. It's weird to think we use the same deck when we're so unalike."

" Well, try and find something we have in common then."

" Um,...we both like dueling?"

" Something that isn't obvious."

" Fine, genius, you think of something!"

" ..."

"..."

" ...Shit."

" Yeah, not so easy, is it?"

" There's gotta be something."

" Newsflash, we're about as similar as night and day."

" That's it!"

" What's it?"

" Don't you get it? We're like, yin and yang!"

" No offense, dude, but I didn't come here to ponder the meaning behind my existence. I came here to duel."

" Just here me out, okay? We're like, two sides of the same coin. We're each other's opposite, but we have to exist in tandem or else everything falls apart. And there's a little bit of me in you, and a little of you in me."

" Are you getting at something, or do you just like the sound of your own voice?"

" We don't have to have things in common to work together. We can do it just by feeding off one another. You don't have to like me and I don't have to like you, but there's enough of the other in each of us to be able to come up with a plan. Me and Syrus can tag duel and win because we're so alike. You and me can win because we _aren't_."

" That...really doesn't make a whole lot of sense."

" I know, I know. But can't you just, I dunno, take my word for it?"

" I can try, I guess."

" Thanks Aster."

" Don't thank me yet." He glared at Sarina. " Thank me _after_ we win."

And despite the fact that Jaden Yuki annoyed the hell out of him whenever Aster came into contact with the Slifer, he still had to bite back an embarrassingly bright grin as he felt the other boy start to beam.

That was probably what made him believe it when Jaden claimed it wasn't over. As much as the other boy annoyed and aggravated him, as much as Jaden got on his nerves and made Aster's teeth grind, there was something about him that Aster couldn't help but respect. It wasn't an obvious thing. It wasn't like Jaden just switched personas and suddenly Aster looked up to him. It was a multitude of small mannerisms that were unique to Jaden. It was a bunch of little things that made up who he was. It was the way he talked to his friends. It was the way he handled his cards. It was the way he always smiled at Aster, even though the other boy was, more often than not, his enemy.

It was the way he was so ready to accept that maybe, Sartorius wasn't such a bad guy after all. It was the way he'd _known_ that, without anyone telling him at all. It was the way he went about looking after the people he loved. It was the way he heaped their failures on himself. It was the way he handled the weight of the world on his shoulders with a kind of giddy grace that Aster had never seen before. It was the way he could go from happy to serious to sympathetic without batting an eye. It was the way he knew when to be kind, when to cold, and when to be cold to be kind. It was the way he never took anyone's crap, without being blunt about it. It was the way he never turned down a challenge.

It was the way he was able to make everything, every tiny action, every thoughtless gesture, his own.

And that was why Aster found that he could believe in Jaden. Because this was a duel, and Jaden was in his element, but more than that, Jaden's own sense of determined stupidity was permeating from every card in both their hands. It was washing over their side of the field, and, just like Jaden had said, they were yin and yang, and that meant that somewhere, there was little speck of Jaden in Aster, and the pro-star let that guide him.

" Hey Jaden." Aster let the first genuine smile he'd felt like having all day show on his face. " I'll go the distance with you, but I'm gonna need a major pep talk. Whaddya say?"

Jaden's answering grin lit up the entire field.

" You've come to the right place. Pep talks are my specialty!"

And when he used his Dark Panther to copy Sarina's Dark Creator, and then merged the jungle cat with Neos, Aster felt a flicker of pride. When Sarina's face (both of them, actually) went pale as Jaden announced that Dark Neos could negate Dark Creator's effect, and sicced one of the Dark Creator tokens on him, Aster couldn't help but grin. And when Dark Neos had slammed into one of the Sarina's, knocking her lifepoints down to zero and forcing the two to merge back into one woman, he couldn't help his reaction.

" Hell yeah!" He pumped his fist in the air, grinning. Jaden gave him his customary wink and two fingered salute, and, unlike the first two times he'd seen it, Aster felt no urge to scowl and throw it in Jaden's face.

Instead, he had, for the briefest of moments, the insane urge to give it back to him.

* * *

Sarina collapsed, a single entity again. Behind her opponents, there were twin flashes of light. Jaden spun on his heels, his grin growing as he saw that Hassleberry and Syrus were human again.

" Oh thank God." Syrus breathed, flexing his fingers.

" Good ta be back." The younger Ra agreed. " Thanks Sarge!"

" Hey, if it were me, you'da both done the same." Jaden gave them his salute.

" Good job." Aster sounded resigned, but happy. Jaden looked at him over his shoulder, offering the other boy a smile.

" Thanks, but I woulda never pulled it off without your monster." He shrugged. " I think we should just forget about this 'chosen one' business. I don't think that duel proved anything."

" You're wrong."

Both boys turned to look at Sarina, who was kneeling on the ground, one hand still clutching the side where Jaden's last attack had made contact. Raising her still pale face, Aster and Jaden were surprised to see the look of gratitude on her face.

" You both passed the test." She whispered, sounding weak. " You're both necessary."

" Uh, thank you?" Jaden muttered, but jumped to the side as Aster rushed passed him in a silver blur.

" Sarina!" He knelt by her side, wrapping an arm around her to steady her.

" Why is he helping her?" Syrus asked, Hassleberry nodding his head in agreement. Jaden shushed them, watching the scene unfold with speculative eyes.

" Are you okay?" Aster asked, trying to pull the woman to her feet. " C'mon, get up. Let's get out of here, and we can all talk."

" There won't be time for that, I'm afraid." Sarina whispered, her breathing getting heavier.

" Whaddya mean bah that?" Hassleberry demanded. Jaden shot him a look and saw that under his dark skin, he looked pale.

" This world is rigged to self destruct." Sarina explained in a flat voice. Both Syrus and Hassleberry jumped at the omission, and began to look around nervously, although Syrus kept his cool better than his friend. Aster went white, and doubly renewed his efforts to haul Sarina to her feet.

" Don't just sit there, get up!" He tugged at her arm. " C'mon Sarina, we don't have a lot of time here! Hurry!"

Sarina's face was in shadow, but she shook her head, and when she started to speak in a soft, sad tone, Jaden could almost picture the smile on her face.

" Aster, Jaden, please listen to me. I'm sorry I had to put you through that."

" Quick yakkin' and get up!" Aster's voice had taken on an edge of panic. Sarina continued to resist him.

" I know this won't make up for the pain I put not only you, but your friends as well, through but..." She raised her head, and Jaden was surprised to see tears glittering in her eyes. " ...I lied."

" She what?" Syrus exploded, glaring at the woman.

" You lied?" Aster whispered, letting his hand drop from her arm. " You lied to me?"

" I told you my interests were the same as my brother. That isn't true."

" Then what were ya after?" Hassleberry cut in, standing protectively by Jaden. Sarina shook her head, her shoulders starting to shake. Jaden walked forward, ignoring his friends' warnings and gently put his hand on her shoulder. Sarina looked up at him, eyes swimming with tears.

" Miko-sama." He said softly. " What do you want?"

Her shoulders shook as he addressed her, and the tears spilled over, even as she started to speak.

" I needed to know which one of you was the one my brother needed, but not for the reason you think." She clasped her hands in front of her. " I needed to know which one of you would be able to save him."

" Save him?" Jaden whispered. Beside him Aster flinched guiltily.

" Yes." Sarina was still shaking.

" Why does he need saving?"

" Because..." Sarina tried, but her tears choked up her throat and she had to stop, taking deep breaths even as a sob ripped itself out of her throat. Jaden gave her shoulder an encouraging squeeze, and Aster leaned forward to wrap an arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him.

" Because." She tried again once she's calmed down. " Something has changed within him. Something has made the good brother I love change into a horrible monster." She took a steadying breath, and launched into a story.

" About a year and a half ago, a stranger arrived at our house, asking for my brother. Sartorius was a fortune teller on the side, so visitors came often. I didn't think much of it then. Sartorius was just so happy to be able to use his gift to help people that I let it slide. The stranger was dressed in long black coat with a scarf over his face so we couldn't see any of his features. I was suspicious, but I thought maybe he was just embarrassed to be going to see a fortune teller, even one of my brother's calibre, and just didn't want to be recognized. I let it go.

" I watched from behind the curtain, though, because something about the man didn't sit right with me. After Sartorius had done the usually readings, the man presented him with a card. I couldn't really see it in the candlelight, but it seemed to be glowing softly. It felt wrong, like it was burning up. I noticed that the man was very careful to use gloves when he was handling the card.

" The second Sartorius touched it, I knew something had happened. He went white as a ghost and started shaking, and even after the man had paid him and left, he was stayed in his reading room, just staring at the opposite wall. When I finally came in to try and talk to him, he was cold as ice. He refused to speak to me, and started muttering to himself, like he was possessed. I tried to look at his face, but he wouldn't turn around. I was so scared that I grabbed him to shake him and...and..." Sarina trailed off, her tears starting up again. She pressed a hand to her lips to stifle her sobs, smearing her lipstick in the process.

" What is it?" Aster asked, rubbing her shoulder. Sarina shook her head.

" ...His _eyes_..." She whispered finally. " I've never seen such eyes before. It was as if...as if...like a fire inside of him was set alight, and you could see it in his eyes. He looked..."

" Like all the life was sucked out of his face, and pulled into his eyes? Like he was delirious with a fever? Like he was seriously sick, but somehow it was on the inside of him? His soul?" Jaden supplied grimly. Sarina nodded.

" You've come in contact with it." It wasn't a question.

Jaden nodded.

" Did you happen to get any clues as to what this thing possessing your brother looked like?"

" All I could see when I tried to look into him was light. A bright, blazing light that seared right through me."

" The Light of Destruction." Jaden hissed. " Damn."

" The what?" Aster looked at him. " You know what this thing is?"

" Not exactly. I know it's from space, and that my Neospacians need me to fight it, and that it's upsetting a very delicate balance by lashing out like this, but other than that, I'm in the dark." A thought occurred to him, and he hurried to voice it before Aster could make fun of his 'imaginary journey' again. " Hey Aster, did Sartorius do anything to your deck before you dueled me? The first official one, I mean?"

" Yeah." The boy said, frowning. " He said he was empowering it with destiny. I thought he was just looking at the future and using it as a medium."

" He must've put the Light in your deck." Jaden whispered. " At the end of the duel, I saw this bright light in front of my eyes and it hurt so bad that I passed out."

" You screamed too." Syrus put in, looking pale but resolute.

Jaden blinked.

" I _screamed_?"

" Yeah, everybody was at my throat, demanding I fix whatever I did to you." Aster looked down. " You really went temporarily blind because you saw that light coming out of my deck?"

Jaden nodded.

" How come it didn't take you over?"

He shrugged. A hand brushed the bangs away from his skin and he jumped as cool fingers pressed against his forehead. Sarina closed her eyes, and Jaden had the oddest sense of light-headedness.

" There is something within you that won't allow you to be taken over." She whispered. " Something that fights the Light at every turn. It tried to control you, but you pushed it back, and were merely blinded for a while." The fingers, as she removed them, shook. " You are a good ally to have in this war, Jaden Yuki."

" This isn't a war." Jaden protested, but Sarina gave him a sad smile.

" Not all wars are fought with cannons and tanks. Now, listen closely. The card that did this to my brother was a monster card. It was a hero, like the ones you both play with." On her shoulder, Aster's hand spasmed. " That's all I know. I couldn't see the name of the card from where I stood, and the man left soon after he showed it to my brother. His face was covered, so I don't know what he looks like. I just know that after Sartorius touched that card, he became the monster that created the Society of Light."

" Alright." Aster said, standing up. " Well, at least we know what we gotta do. Sarina, let's get out of here. Then we can start figuring you how to do this, you, me, and Jaden."

" Aster, I'm sorry." Sarina gave him a soft smile. " But this program is also rigged to release me into cyberspace, where I can watch over my brother."

" What are you talking about?" He shouted angrily. " You're coming home with us!"

Sarina reached up, and stroked his face, her own heartbreakingly sad.

" I'm so proud of you. You've grown-up into _exactly_ the sort of man I'd always hoped you'd be." Aster leaned into the touch.

" Sarina." He whispered pleadingly, but she put both her hands on his shoulders and squeezed them.

" I believe in you. I always have. And I always will. You're my son, Aster. Maybe not by blood, but in my heart, I will always think of you like that. And I know you can do this."

Then she pushed him backwards, and he fell into the glowing double rings that signalled the exit. He was gone before the look of surprise ever fully made it onto his face. Sarina watched him go, her face hardening.

" All of you, get out. That exit isn't going to be open much longer."

Syrus and Hassleberry jumped, but Jaden gave one last look at the woman as she started to glow.

He bowed.

" It is an honour to have met you." He said in formal Japanese.

Sarina started at the address, but then nodded, and responded in kind.

" I..I believe in you. In _both_ of you."

The last thing Jaden saw before he was sent back was Sarina, glowing and smiling, sinking into the green floor beneath her.

* * *

Merry Christmas to you all~!

I know I was away for longer than I said I would be, but I was trying to give my friend Mizumaru Mari a chance to respond. You see, for all the Japanese being used in these past chapters, Mari has been my faithful consultant, correcting me and letting me know where I went wrong. She has been a great help to me, and I would really like to get down on my knees and thank her for being so patient with me and my stupid lack of knowledge of the Japanese language. Unfortunately, I have been unable to reach her for about a month now, and, as such, have made the decision to NOT use Japanese in this last chapter. I don't want to mangle it as I so often do when Mari doesn't correct me. I figured better safe than sorry, and I really do trust Mari more than myself.

That being said, I think its time I explained the reasoning behind the use of Japanese. That's right. I had a logical reason behind it: It was to show the power struggle going on between Jaden, Sarina, and even Aster to an extent. Look back to when Sarin first started addressing Jaden. She does so playfully and mockingly, using his own language to both taunt him, and confuse Aster. She is basically stating that she is above the two boys, and she knows it. In each instance of her and Jaden conversing back and forth, Sarina's tone is always mocking and lofty, while Jaden is constantly angered to the point of forgetting that he's supposed to be speaking English. Sarina is using Japanese to make Jaden lose control over his emotions. She's trying to psych him out and it's working.

But, at the end, the balance of power has shifted. Sarina has given the power over to Jaden, and he senses that. He responses by bowing and using formal Japanese, indicating that he respects her. Sarina, stunned at this, acknowledges him in a way that she didn't before. She gave the power to Jaden, but he still treated her with dignity. They've become equals by teh end of this by-play. I'm sad that I couldn't use actual Japanese to show this, but I think the message gets across just the same.

Well, there will be two more updates tonight, so I want you all to have a very merry Christmas, or whatever holiday you celebrate, and just enjoy the night!

See you soon for 'Falling Rain' and the one, the only, 'Domino City Rain Scene!'

MoS


	30. Falling Rain

Warnings: An in-depth look at characters up ahead. You have been warned.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

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* * *

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**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

It rained on their last day in Domino.

Most people thought that that was just typical. They finally managed to get a vacation away from school (as for the _awesome_ destination, they had Jaden Yuki to thank for that), and what did it do? Start pouring. It was the unwritten laws of school trips and holidays to exotic locations. If you were more than a four hour drive from home, and planning to enjoy the weather, it was going to rain. If you were cut from a _very_ unlucky cloth, it might just rain the entire vacation.

Luckily for most of the students on the trip (poor Abeni had caught strep throat the day they'd left, and had had to be quarantined in the school infirmary before she'd even had the chance to get on the ship. Syrus had promised to bring back tons of souvenirs, which was why he ended up braving the rainstorm on that last day), they were not cut from the aforementioned cloth, and had managed to get about three or so days of fun, frolic, and, for the Duelists, Battle City site seeing before the clouds had started gathering. The Slifers, who had been unceremoniously kicked to the curb by the Chancellor (okay, it had been Bonaparte through and through. What he had against the Red Dorm was a mystery, but he clearly wasn't above using his position to make the lives of everyone in the dorm a living hell), had been at risk of getting sopping wet, the only other option being spending the whole day cooped up in a small tent with four other people. But the Ra's had been surprisingly helpful and all but dragged the Red Dorm back to their hotel for an inter-dorm movie day, the Duelist claiming one of the larger rooms for watching the Battle City Special Edition – Uncut DVD, while the Academics had crowded into another room to order Pay per View and room service. The Yellow and Red Dorms had unconsciously started to get closer over the course of the year, mainly due to the fact that some of their best Duelists just plain liked the Red Dorm better, and Jaden Yuki was actually a really great guy to hang around with.

Fortunately for most of the students, they managed to sit around and watch movies on the day the universe decided Domino had not had enough rainfall for the week.

_Un_fortunately for Lia Shanner, that was also the day Aster Phoenix decided to kidnap her.

" _Diable?" Lia shouted indignantly as, right in the middle of her talk with Bastian about whether or not he wanted to join the other Academics for a horror movie marathon (which Jaden had surprisingly opted out of the Battle City-Uncut DVD to take part in), an arm was thrown casually around her shoulders._

" '_Scuse me. Borrowing her." Aster said, not sounding sincere in the least. His grip tightened, and then he was dragging Lia towards the door. And, of course, completely ignoring her increasingly high-pitched protests._

" _What the hell do you think you're doing?" She tried to kick him. " Let me go! I was in the middle of a conversation!"_

" _He wasn't paying attention to you." Aster dismissed, dodging around a couple of very confused Ra's. Lia shot them pleading looks, but Aster grinned over her head, squeezed her shoulder, and flashed his Destiny Hero Doom Lord at them. They scurried away, and Lia glowered at them as they went._

" _Lâches." She snarled, and Aster couldn't help but laugh._

" _Sheath the claws, Kitten."_

_And then winced as her elbow dug into his side, but refused to let go._

" _You don't know me well enough to use that joke, asshole."_

" _How about I __**get**__ to know you then?" He offered, flirty grin on his lips. He really hadn't meant for the sentence to come out like it had, but she'd given him a perfect set up, and watching the tips of her ears turn red to match her cheeks was so worth it._

" _Pervert." She hissed, and started struggling again. " I was talking to someone."_

" _And I don't care." Aster yanked her out the door. She got one arm loose and latched onto the door frame, making him stumble and stop. He turned back, giving her a look that clearly said 'Really?', which she responded to with a glare._

" _You're a rude little bastard, aren't ya?" She snarked. _

" _What's wrong with me wanting to take a walk all of a sudden?"_

" _Nothing. By all means, start walking. In fact, keep walking until you end up in another continent. Just leave me out of your sudden wandering urges."_

" _Sorry. I want some company."_

" _So go pick up a member of your fan club or something. I've got movies to watch."_

" _Okay, one, I have no desire to be glomped on all day. There's no danger of you doing that. Two, I find it hard to believe that you'd rather spend the day watching romantic comedies than hang out with me."_

" _One, you're right. I don't want to touch you with a thirty foot pole. And two, they are __**not**__ romantic comedies, they are __**slasher flicks**__. I can't stand all that mushy crap!"_

_Aster looked her up and down appreciatively._

" _You're a girl after my own heart. What's your favourite slasher movie?"_

_Lia's eyes narrowed._

" _We are __**not**__ having a conversation."_

" _C'mon! Now it's a crime to want to get to know someone? All I did was ask one simple question."_

" _I don't want to talk to you."_

" _You were fine talking to me earlier on this trip from hell."_

" _I was either too tired to think clearly or letting panic over rule my judgement. Neither of those times counts for anything."_

" _So? You're well rested and grounded right now. And I'm level headed too. Let's try having a normal conversation for once. Look, I'll even start. My favourite slasher flick is the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies."_

_Lia glared at him, not letting go of the doorframe. Aster sighed._

" _This is where you say something response."_

" _Get bent."_

" _Something that follows along the line of conversation that I started."_

" _I'd like to do to you what Leatherface did to those teenagers."_

" _Not quite what I had in mind, but I guess it'll do. Do you like the originals or the remakes better?"_

" _I already told you that I'm not having a conversation with you. So you might as well scram, because this is as far as I go." She stamped her foot in the doorway for emphasis. Aster stood still, looking at her with an unreadable expression. Then a little, dangerous smile made its way onto his face, and Lia began to feel very nervous._

" _You sure you don't wanna come for a walk with me?"_

_She bristled._

" _Not on your life."_

" _You __**sure**__?"_

" _Positive."_

" _You sure you're sure?"_

_Lia threw her hands in the air, glaring for all she was worth._

" _Yes, Aster, I'm sure that I don't want to go __**anywhere**__ with you, so kindly screw off and leave me alone."_

"_Okay, okay. I'll leave." He held up his hands in surrender. " But before I do, can I point out one thing?"_

" _What?" She asked through clenched teeth._

" _You're not holding onto the door anymore._

_And quick as a flash, before his words could even register, Aster grabbed her around the waist and hauled her down the stairs, the only thing drowning out the sound of Lia's cursing being the sound of his laughter._

Which was how she had ended up where she was. Aster had dragged her all around town, not really seeming to have a destination in mind. Lia was sure that, him being a Duelist and all, he'd drag her around to look at all the sites where Battle City had taken place, like Syrus, Hassleberry, and Jaden had done on their first day. But he'd completely ignored them, instead opting to just wander pointlessly, looking at buildings with a strangely detached look on his face. Ever so often he had glance up at the darkening sky, shrugging listlessly in response whenever Lia pointed out that it looked like rain.

He seemed so lost, like a kid in a mall who'd let go of their mother's hand for just a s second, and had gotten lost in the ever-moving crowds. He was aimless, staring at things as though they could give him the answers he so desperately sought. Towards the beginning of the outing, his hand had slipped down until he'd been holding her wrist, his grip weak and fleeting, like a butterfly landing on a stone to sun itself. It was nothing like the sturdy, sure grip he'd used when he'd dragged her off to find Jaden the night Alexis had joined the Society of Light, and Lia found herself, unbidden, wondering what had happened in between then to make him so different.

It was almost as if he'd lost his purpose, like he didn't know what he was doing anymore. Before, Aster had always been so sure of himself; he'd walked like he owned the Earth and knew it. It had been unbearably irritating, but now that the swagger was gone, now that Aster was looking around like he had no idea where he was going or what he wanted to do when he got there, Lia found herself missing it, against her own wishes.

People were so much easier to deal with when they didn't change. She could fit them into neat little boxes and be done with it. The problem, however, once that once she got to know people, they were constantly doing things that surprised her and made her question her classification of them. Aster Phoenix was supposed to be an annoying, arrogant show-off, and Lia had had no desire to dig deeper and see beyond that. Unfortunately, they'd kept running into each other, and with each meeting, Aster had revealed a new side, one caring, one wistful, and now, one that was almost helplessly lost and confused, and Lia found herself struggling to fit him into a box the same way she had struggled with her friends before she'd given up and just let them be themselves.

She'd been about to reach out, maybe to touch his arm, maybe to demand he take her back to the hotel, maybe to just get his attention to make his stop looking like a kicked puppy, when the sky had opened up on them.

In a split second, both of them had been soaked. With their clothes plastered to their bodies and their hair dripping, they'd taken shelter under the entrance of a nearby museum. They'd stood there, just watching the downpour and waiting for it to let up. The streets were empty and Lia surmised that they were the only people who had been stupid enough to venture outside what with the sky looking the way it had. She sighed, and started to wring out her braid.

" I blame you for this, you know." She said as she squeezed more water out of her hair. Deciding it was as dry as squeezing it with her hands was going to get it, she started on her top, grabbing a bunch of green fabric in her hands and clenching her fist. Water erupted, cold and sopping, over her fingers, and she watched it run down the dip of her wrist to drip on the stone steps below. Throughout her attempts to get the shirt dry, Aster stayed suspiciously quiet.

" I mean, who insists on going for a walk when the weather forecast calls for 90% chance of showers? Did you even look at the sky this morning? The clouds were _bloated_. The rain practically broadcasted itself. And what do you do? Decide to go for a walk." Rolling her eyes at his stupidity, she tried to bunch up more of her tank top, getting increasingly frustrated as she only managed to squeeze small amounts of water out. With a noise of irritation that came from her nose, Lia stripped off the tank top, leaving herself only in the black top she wore underneath. Its collar dipped along her collarbone, and she quickly adjusted the wet fabric so that it stuck to the bone itself, covering the mark that rested just below it. She rolled the tank top up, and started wringing it out.

" I can get that _you _wanted to go out and get caught in a torrential down pour, but what I don't understand is why you wanted to drag _me_ down with you. You coulda just left me at the hotel. I could be halfway through the _**Halloween**_ movie series right now if you had just let me stay."

" Sorry." Aster mumbled distractedly. Lia glanced at him. He was leaning against of the pillars that kept the museum's entranceway roof up, staring at the rain as it came down in sheets. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, and from the angle she was looking at, Lia couldn't see his face.

She snorted

" You suck at this whole 'making friends thing'. You suck worse than me, and trust me, that's saying something." She unrolled her tank top, frowning at all the wrinkles. " Why'd you drag me out here, anyway?"

" I told you." He muttered absentmindedly, like he wasn't really paying attention. Lia didn't mind. She was focused on trying to smooth out the green tank top. " I wanted company."

" To get rained out with?" Lia bite back another snort, still too focused on her top to look up at her companion. She started shaking it. " Damn, I'm gonna need an iron."

" I guess..." Aster started, his voice loosing the dreamy quality it'd had for most of the day. " I guess I just...wanted someone to talk to."

This time, Lia didn't hold back the bark of laughter that shot out of her mouth.

" And you picked _me_? Cheri, I am many things, but a casual conversationalist and confidante I am not."

" You get it, though."

" Get what?" She wrinkled her nose as she looked at her black top. It was soaked through as well, but there was no way she could give it the same treatment she'd given her tank top. It was the only thing she had on over her bra, and she was not changing tops in public, especially not with a teenaged boy standing only a few meters away.

" Get what it's like to lose your dad."

Lia froze.

Then unfroze, and yanked her head up, mouth open, and ready to yell at him for bringing up such a painful memory.

And then froze again.

Because Aster had moved away from the pillar. He was standing, hands out of his pockets, his arms spread slightly away from his body and upturned so that the rain drops hit his palms with a wet, smacking noise. His head was tilted back, and Lia could see thin rivulets running down his throat, dripping off the sharp point of his chin. His clothes had been wet before; they were drenched now, not so much sticking to his body so much as clinging to it, every dip and curve outlined and giving off a terrible sense of loss. His hair was plastered to his face, the bangs smacked onto his eyes and curling along his cheekbones, the shadows playing havoc on his already pale face. He seemed so small, so weak, like a strong gust of wind could blow him away, and at the same time, infinite, grand, and strong.

' 'And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.'' The passage sprang up in her mind, and Lia hurried to put it out of her head, rushing forward to grab his arm.

" Are you crazy?" She hissed, trying to haul him back under the relative safety and dryness of the entrance way. " You're gonna catch your death! You're soaked to the bone!"

Aster didn't respond to her.

"You lost your dad. You know what that's like. To listen to people tell you that he's gone, but not believing it."

" The only thing I believe in at the moment is the fact that you're getting _drenched_!" Lia tugged at him.

" You don't understand what they're saying. How can he be dead? He was just there last night. He just tucked you in last night, and read you a story until you fell asleep. How can he not be coming back?" Aster resisted her struggling. " You think that they must be lying. They don't know your dad. Not like you do. He's coming back, they just don't know it yet. You try to tell them, but they keep giving you these looks." His voice shifted, and the arm she was pulling on tensed. When he spoke again, it was in a low tone, fury just underneath it.

" They look at you like you don't understand anything, like you're stupid just because you're a kid. It's like, they think you can't understand, that your mind can't make sense of it, and you're just denying it because you're a kid. But they're the ones that don't get it. They can't know your dad like you do, and they can't know that he's coming back. But you do. You do." The last word was a whisper, and Lia felt her grip slacken, a horrible emptiness starting to appear at the very center of her being. It wasn't fair, because Aster didn't know her, didn't know one single thing about her, so how could he pull such a reaction out of her? How could Aster know all those things; things she'd thought to herself when, at eight-years-old, she hadn't been able to wrap her head around what her grandfather was telling her.

Aster was moving away from her now, walking forward, his arms falling dead at his side, his silver suit dark and heavy with water. Her tank top had fallen, discarded on the steps. Lia didn't notice.

" And then, they show you. They fucking drag you up to his coffin and they _show you_. They make you believe it. They say they're doing it to help you get closure, but that's bull. They're doing it so that they can be right, and you can be wrong, and go back to being just a stupid kid instead of the only one who knows the truth." His voice was so tight now, and Lia wondered if he was crying. The rain was so loud against the pavement, Lia wondered how she was able to hear him, because she stayed firmly planted under the roof. She couldn't go out into the rain, because if she did, then he'd be right. If she chased him into the rain, and got as soaked as he was, and looked into his eyes, he'd be right and she'd never be able to go back under that entrance way, with or without him. He'd be right, and then there wouldn't be Lia Shanner and Aster Phoenix anymore. There'd just be two scared, hurt teenagers who were a little bit broken on the inside.

If she went out in the rain, Aster would strip her down of every protective coat of sarcasm and thorns she had, and he'd get to the soft, trembling heart of her so fast she wouldn't even have time to try and stop him.

" When they showed me that, you know what I thought? You know what went through my head?"

' Pour-quoi?'

" I thought, 'This was meant. It has to be.' I told myself that my father dying had to have a greater purpose."

' Pour-quoi fais tu ça?'

" I told myself that, and I've lived by it my whole life. It's what gave me the strength to go on after he was gone."

' Je ne veux pas l'entendre. Je ne veux pas t'écouter.'

" I said that it was Destiny, and that my father's death served a greater purpose. It made me who I am today."

' Ne me le dites pas.'

" But now..."

' Je ne veux pas être le même comme tu!'

Aster turned around suddenly, and even the trails of rain running down his face couldn't disguise the tears that streamed down his cheek with the rain water. He looked at her with pleading eyes, and suddenly, Lia felt bare and stripped down and completely, utterly open, She felt naked, like Aster could see inside of her and into all the painful, heartbreaking memories she kept locked in her heart. She felt like he could just reached out and break her with one touch, like she was glass and see-through. She'd never felt so exposed in all her life, and for a moment, she was terrified, both that Aster would see everything she never wanted anyone to see again, and of the boy in front of her, who'd torn down her every defence with nothing but a look.

" Now, my father's death has caused so many problems. Now, because my father is dead, my best friend is in danger. Now, I have to sit back and wonder if, maybe, everything went _wrong_ after my father died. If he died because of that card, and then that card is what made Sartorius like this, and made him create the Society of Light, wouldn't it...wouldn't it have been better...for everyone, I mean...if...if...my father hadn't died?"

His voice broke over the last word, and suddenly, he was crying in earnest, sobs shaking his body and his arms flying up to wrap around himself. He raised his head and looked at her, and Lia found herself drowning in soul-deep eyes, so blue they put the ocean to shame and so honest and open and scared that she forgot herself for a moment. She forgot that she was battered and raw and bare too. She forgot that the ugly, twisted center of her was on display for him. She forgot that she was supposed to be scared of anyone ever seeing the pain she'd hidden under her barbs and spiteful words.

Because the second her eyes met his, she realized it didn't matter that he could see into the very center of her heart, where there was a great, black nothingness that threatened to swallow her whole.

Because he was laying _his_ soul bare before her, and it humbled her.

Lia stepped out into the rain.

It was freezing, and if she wasn't so numb she would probably shiver. But all she could see was the pleading look in Aster's eyes, and all she could feel was the low undercurrent of terror at finding someone who could understand her pain completely, and she barely registered her own movement until she was right in front of him. She distantly realized that the droplets of water clinging to his eyelashes were tears, not rain, and his mouth was open slightly even though he was breathing through his nose, and he looked like he was torn being running off and throwing his arms around her.

" If that's all true...if him dying is what led to all these awful things happening...then why...why..." Aster's voiced died in a broken sob, and it shook his body so bad it swayed from side to side. It took him a few minutes to calm himself down enough to speak, and when he did, his voice was so small she could barely hear it over the sound of the rain hitting the ground.

" Why is my father dead?"

" I don't know." Lia answered gruffly, her voice coming out rough from the tears blocking her throat. She looked away, because if she looked into those eyes again she was going to fall to her knees and drag him down with her and hold him until they both stopped crying.

" I don't know why your father's dead. I don't know why mine's dead either." God, his gaze was burning a hole in her, searing the big empty nothingness and sewing it up, like a soldering iron over two sheets of metal. It was uncomfortable and scary and she didn't want to be grateful to him. " All I know is that you're lucky."

" What?" He wanted to sound insulted, she knew he did, but his voice was too raw, and instead he sounded hurt, and Lia's insides squirmed unpleasantly.

" You got to say goodbye." She hissed. She turned to face him but didn't raise her head, because his eyes were going to undo her. " You got to go right up to his coffin and right up to his face and you got to tell him goodbye. They showed you concrete proof that your father was dead and you were never left wondering in the middle of the night if they made a mistake or were lying or just trying to hurt you. You got to say goodbye and that's more than I ever got."

'Stop complaining.' She wanted to say. ' You got to say goodbye and you got to visit his grave and you got to confirm with your own two eyes that he was dead and gone. My father was buried in Africa and I've never even seen his grave, let alone put flowers on it. You got more than me, so stop crying. Stop making me feel sorry for you. And stop making me feel sorry for myself, 'cause I hate that, and I hate you for making me feel it. I hate you because you can see inside of me without trying and that scares me, and I hate you for making me scared too. I don't want to be your friend, but I think we're going to end up being the best of them, because you let me see inside you and you can see inside me, and I don't think I can go back to disliking you after this. I can hate you for making me scared and I can hate you for making me empathize with you, but I can't dislike you and that means there's no reason we can't be friends. We're similar, you and I, and I think we're going to get along after this. I think I'm going to genuinely like you and want to spend time with you. I think you're going to integrate easily into our group of friends, so let me have this. Just give me this moment to hate you for making me weak, and then I'll be able to let it go.' But she kept her mouth shut, because even Lia, with her awkward social graces, knew that some things were never meant to be said out-loud.

She looked at him then, defiantly, daring him to try and make her melt. She was met with a wide pair of eyes. Aster was looking at her like he'd never seen her before, as if she'd never said anything cold or cruel to him, ever, which she knew was untrue. He was looking at her like she was something rare, something strong and fragile and easily startled. He reached forward slowly, as if she were a deer he'd encountered in the woods and he didn't want to scare her off. Lia wanted to yell at him, to spit at him and curse him for treating her nothing like the sturdy, independent girl she put out as an image and everything like the scared, shaking child she hid behind her curtain of thorns.

" Lia." He whispered, and his fingers brushed a lock of sopping wet hair out of her face. " You're soaked."

And Lia laughed, long and hard and loud, feeling the anger drain out of her, and then laughed again because if she didn't, she was going to start crying.

" Your fault." She accused, and stepped back, knowing instinctively that he was going to follow. She walked back to the stone steps, and grabbed her wrinkled tank top. Stepping back out under the blanket of rain, it felt cold and made her shake, and she wasn't so numb anymore. The water was making her clothes stick to her body uncomfortably, and the fabric was starting to take on that clammy feel that she hated.

" We should get out of the rain." She said, making no move to leave. Aster looked at her for a second, then nodded.

" My RV is closer than your hotel. C'mon, you can use my dryer."

" I'll be using your shower too." She said primly, and gestured forward with her hand. " Lead the way."

* * *

" Sorry." He apologized later. " I don't know what came over me."

Lia, who was sitting on the other side of the booth in his pale blue-gray bathrobe, nursing a steaming cup of coffee so full of sugar and milk it there was barely any of the liquid left, snorted.

" And here I just thought you were crazy." She watched a lightning bolt split the sky in two. In the background, the dryer hummed to itself, tumbling Lia's clothes around until they were dry. The robe was cinched tightly at the waist and fell down to just before her ankles. She kept bringing one hand up to close the collar, even though the robe was wrapped so far around her there was little more than skin of her neck showing.

Aster laughed softly, not really finding the comment funny so much as the tone it had been said in. A playful, bantering tone that spoke of an ease around him that hadn't been present when he'd gone to get her that morning.

" Not entirely. Not yet." She rolled her eyes at him and brought the mug to her lips. She sipped her sugar-and-milk-and-coffee concoction. Aster watched her over his own mug, and was struck by how easily she seemed to integrate into his routine. He had no idea why he'd sought her out, the only thought in his head being that the girl before him had lost her father too, and maybe, just maybe, she'd be able to help him. He turned to stare out the window, watching the rain.

"It was raining the day they found him." He said quietly. Across the booth, he heard Lia lower her cup to the table.

" Oh?"

" The killer...or killers...they'd ditched him body in a river a little ways from our apartment. We overlooked a little patch of woods, and there was a river that ran through it...that's where the dogs found him."

" The dogs?"

" The police dogs." He fiddled with his cup. " You know, ever since then, I've always like German Shepherds. They're smart dogs. They...they found my dad for me." He sniffed, and tried to cover it up by coughing a little. When the stinging sensation in his eyes had gone away, he continued. " I think if I ever got a dog, I'd get a German Shepherd."

" You are unbelievable." Aster turned to look at her, mainly because though her words sounded like they were meant to be harsh, they'd been said in a resigned, almost praising tone. Lia had threaded her fingers together and rested her elbows on the table. Her chin was on her fingers, and she was staring out the window, watching the rain like she wasn't really looking at it.

" You come off as such a jerk. You talk big, you swagger around, you make yourself out to be this total prick that's hard to get along with. But that's an act, at least in part. When you talk to people, when you talk to me, it's like you're a whole other person. You smile and laugh, and you're completely approachable. It's hard for me to reconcile the prick who I threw a surf board at and the guy who's sitting right in front of me, telling me all this deep, personal stuff. But I think I've figured out your secret, even if it does piss me off a bit that I've got to reclassify you." She turned her head to look at him. " You're actually not that bad of a guy, are you?"

And she favoured him with a small, genuinely affectionate smile that reached up to her eyes and made them glow warmly.

And Aster's heart stopped.

The dryer continued to hum and the rain pelted against the window they were sitting by in with rapid little bursts of 'plink', but Aster didn't hear any of it; didn't feel the mug of coffee in his one hand, or the wood under his fingers as his other hand convulsed and dug into the table.

Because the world had stopped spinning, and time was standing still as Lia Shanner smiled at him.

' She's pretty.' His mind whispered in awe. ' Oh wow, she's pretty. She's honest-to-God pretty and why didn't I notice it before?'

Lia shook her head, taking his silence as an agreement, and turned to stare out the window again. Aster watched her, and the way the light hit her smooth face and her freckles stood out, and made little glimmers of red appear in her wet hair.

' She's the prettiest girl I've ever seen.' Aster felt his cheeks heat up in a blush and ducked his head into his coffee. His heart was beating erratically in his chest and he couldn't seem to catch his breath, because in the back of his mind, caught in a seemingly endless, continuous loop, was the image of her smiling; the way it had lit up her face and the warmth in her eyes, and the way that one lock of dark, damp hair had just tumbled over her shoulder and brushed against the wrist she'd been using to hold her head up...

Aster's heart skipped another beat and Lia continued to look out the window, contemplating the rain, completely oblivious.

* * *

And there we have it! The scene I've been waiting for since I started this series! The 'Domino City Rain Scene'! I've had that idea in my head for god only knows how long! Whooooo~!

Anywho, there is it, in black and white and blue (for Aster's eyes, you know). And now, I'd like to ask that all of us take a moment and join in the chorus of the song that is playing in Aster's head at this very moment.

Ahem.

_Can you feel_

_the love tonight?_

_The peace the evening brings!_

_The world for once_

_in per-fect harmony_

_with all its living things!_

Aster: I hate you.

Love you too, doll-face! This is the last 'chapter'-ish thing you're gonna get , but I promise that either late tonight or sometime in the wee hours of the morning (it's our turn to host Christmas this year, and the family is due to start arriving in about 15 minutes, so it's gonna be a busy night tonight. We Swedes celebrate on the 24th!), I will upload the little 'extra' I've been working on to make it up to you guys for going on hiatus.

I'll see you all soon, and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Love you all,

MoS


	31. Interlude:Christmas

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all you lovely readers!

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX._ Or anything else, really. But I DO own my OC's.

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light - Christmas Special**

* * *

" Lia?"

The girl looked up from the kitchen counter at her cousin's call.

" Mmm?" The finger she'd dipped into the bowl of batter was hanging from her mouth. Magda giggled a little at the sweet, innocent picture her usually bristled cousin made, and nodded towards the living room.

" Some guy on the phone for you." The redhead wiggled her eyebrows. " Something you're not telling us, darlin'?"

" Taisse-toi." Lia muttered with an eye roll, but put her mixing spoon down and walked towards her cousin. Said cousin casually pulled a cordless phone out from behind her back and handed it to Lia, blinking innocently when the girl gave her a pointed look.

" What?"

" Do you want a cookie or something? Leave." Lia made shooing motions. Magda just laughed.

" And miss this? Li'l Lia has a boyfriend! I wanna see the first phone conversation!"

" I do NOT have a boyfriend." Lia snapped, yanking the phone away. " Who the hell is this?"

" Yeesh, Koneko-chan. Is that any way to answer a phone?"

Lia froze, staring at the phone like it was going to bite her. Beside her, leaning over her shoulder, Magda raised a dark red brow, glancing between Lia and the phone with obvious interest. After a moment of silence, Lia pressed the phone to her ear once more.

" Shaydon?" She whispered, half disbelieving. On the other end of the line, a soft chuckle sounded.

" You sound so cute with your accent."

Lia flushed brightly at the teasing. Magda jumped back, wary of her cousin's ire, but grinned nonetheless.

" Jaden? Jaden Yuki? That guy you told us about?"

" You talk about me at home?" The sentence ended in something that sounded suspiciously like a squeal. Lia twitched.

" Was there something you wanted?" From behind her, Magda pouted.

" Oh, c'mon, Li'l Lia. Don't be so cruel."

Lia flinched and spat, " Don't _call_ me that!" at the same time Jaden let out a, " Oh, now that is just _adorable_!" As he finished, Lia shot her cousin a look that promised a withholding of freshly baked Christmas cookies. Magda forced herself to look chastened.

" I repeat, was there something you wanted?" Lia left the sentence hanging with a silent threat, her grip on the stirring spoon she'd just recovered getting tighter. Magda sauntered over to the abandoned bowl, peering down into it contents with an appreciative eye. As Lia watched her with eyes that were only getting narrower, Magda reached down to swipe her finger along the edge of the bowl, smirking slightly.

And recoiled as the wooden spoon Lia was holding smacked the back of her hand smartly.

" No tasting." Lia said coldly. Magda pouted, but moved away from the bowl.

" Turn on your webcam." Lia turned away from her sneaky cousin to look at her laptop, which sat innocently on the kitchen table on stand-by. Still staring at it, she reached behind her and smacked Magda's other hand before it could reach the bowl.

" OW!" Magda quickly retracted her hand, shaking it. " You've got some freaky Spidie senses there, cuz."

" Keep out of my cookies." Lia said with a shrug. " And Jay, _please_ tell me that you didn't make an _international call_ just to tell me to turn on my webcam!"

" We're gonna have a webcam chat!" Jaden announced cheerily, and Lia couldn't resist the urge to face palm.

" Why do I hang out with you?" She muttered to herself, but walked over to her computer and took it off stand-by. She fiddled around with the settings for a moment, unsure of what she was looking for. After her third attempt yielded nothing, Magda spoke up.

" It's the last icon on the left of the screen." Her cousin's mouth sounded strangely full.

" Maggie, I swear that if you have batter anywhere near your mouth when I turn around, I will murder you with this spoon." Lia waved the implement for emphasis. There was the distinct clatter of a bowl being set down, and footsteps as Magda retreated to the other side of the kitchen. A second later, the webcam beeped to life, and the option for a chat popped up on the bottom of the screen.

" Okay! I can see you there! Hang on a sec!" Jaden mumbled in her ear, and there was the sound of clicking and a few mutters in Japanese. Then, on the right half of her screen, a window with a loading screen appeared. After a moment or two (with Jaden hissing, " C'mon, you slow piece of crap! Hurry it up!"), the black screen vanished and a tired, but delighted Jaden stared back at her.

" Koneko-chan!" He grinned, phone still wedged in between his shoulder and his ear. He wiggled a little, and then Lia could hear the dial tone ringing on her end. She hung up, and raised a brow at the darkly lit room she could see behind her friend.

" Jaden, what time is it?"

The Slifer shrugged.

" Just after seven in the morning."

" And you're up?" Lia blinked. Jaden laughed softly.

" Hey, there's a time difference, right? I wanted to catch you while you were still up."

" I'm gonna be up for a while." Lia tapped her spoon against her shoulder. " It's only ten, and I've got stuff to finish before I can hit the sack."

" Oh, yeah, speaking of 'up'..." Jaden looked over his shoulder and kicked back from the desk he was sitting at. The wheels on the chair he was sitting on squeaked, but Jaden ignored it as he came to a stop slightly off camera. There was a shuffling sound, and Jaden murmuring things too low for Lia to hear, and then he slid back into view.

Beside him, rubbing his eyes and yawning, was a still half asleep Syrus.

" Bonjour petit." Lia said softly. Syrus rubbed his eyes again, shook his head, and then beamed into the camera.

" Hey Lia. Merry Christmas."

" It's not Noel yet." Lia shook her head. " I can't believe your parents agreed to let you spend the holidays with Jaden."

" Well, given what's going on at home..." Syrus trailed off. Jaden threw and arm over his shoulders to give him an encouraging squeeze. Lia leaned over the back of a chair, face scrunched up in a concerned frown.

" What's going on at home?"

Syrus shrugged, looking downcast.

" Mom and Dad are gonna try and..._talk_ to Zane." Lia winced in sympathy. " And, well..."

" They didn't want you around for that? Wouldn't you have more sway over him?"

" Um, well..." Syrus rubbed the back of his head. " You see...Zane's, uh..."

" Zane's been leaving him creepy messages on his phone." Jaden supplied as he watched Syrus fumble. " And I mean _creepy_."

" Creepy how?" Lia had pulled out the chair and had plopped down into it, leaning her chin on her palms. On the other end, Syrus fidgeted uncomfortably.

" Like, creepy creepy. He keeps saying that 'he'll be the one to save me', and that I don't have to 'rely on anyone else anymore'. Oh, and that I should just 'wait a little longer, because I'm coming for you.'" Syrus shuddered.

" That sounds pretty creepy." Lia agreed.

" And borderline incestuous." Jaden piped up. Both Lia and Syrus glared at him.

" Thank you _so_ much for that imagery, Yuki." Lia growled, and waved her spoon over her head. " Maggie! Spoon!" She smirked a little when an 'eep!' sounded from behind her. On the screen, Jaden was holding his hands up in a sign of surrender.

" Hey, Akimi-chan said it, not me."

" Yeah," Syrus agreed, " but Akimi is crazy."

" Who now?" Lia asked, reaching up to twirl a lock of her brown hair that had loosened from the messy bun at the base of her throat.

Jaden laughed.

" My friend, Akimi-chan. I introduced Sy to the girls a few days ago. They totally love him." He smirked down at the flushing boy.

" So you're saying Abeni's got competition."

Syrus' head shot up.

" What about Ben?"

Lia laughed, a pretty, throaty sound that made Magda look up from examining her nails. Lia's entire face had softened with affection, a tender, pretty smile alight on her lips. Magda blinked, surprised by the turn of events. The boys on the screen were talking rapidly, trying to drown each other out. The blue-haired boy was bright red and hitting the brunet on the chest, who was laughing and making catcalls. Lia was shaking her head, still playing with her hair and smiling at the two. There had been something different about her little cousin, Magda had noticed. Despite the stressed aura that washed off of her and the frantic lip biting she often did when she thought no one was looking, there was a lightness about her, a gentleness that had been missing for a large part of her life. Lia seemed more open, freer, somehow a great deal happier, and Magda, who loved her baby cousin and spoiled her, had been desperate to find the source.

It appeared that she had.

" Hold on!" Jaden urged, keeping Syrus at bay with one hand. He fiddled with something on the keyboard where Lia couldn't see. " Just gimme a sec!"

Abruptly, the other half of Lia's screen was taken up with a not-very-patiently waiting Atticus, who sat, drumming his fingers against the desk (Lia could hear the noise), a bored look on his face.

" Finally!" He all but shouted, glaring at the screen where Lia assumed he could see Jaden. " You told me to get on at like, two, Jay."

" Yeah, and then I realized that I'd have to get up for six to make that work." Jaden answered sheepishly. Atticus scoffed.

" Whatever. Hey Kit-" He froze, staring at Lia. Lia stared back, not really understanding the fascination.

" What, is there something on my face?"

" Yes." All three boys answered at once. Lia blinked.

" I'm sorry?"

" You've had this little smear of batter on your cheek for the past few minutes." Syrus shrugged. Lia made a face, and began to swipe furiously. " No, no. Other cheek."

" Thanks for telling me." She rolled her eyes. Atticus let out a little cry.

" Don't wipe it off! You look so cute, Kitten!"

" Oh, I'm so glad my state of uncleanliness pleases you." Lia licked her thumb and rubbed it over her right cheek. " Maggie, I swear to God your tombstone will read 'Impaled on a Wooden Spoon.'!"

" How the hell do you keep doing that?" The exasperated redhead asked as she collapsed into a chair beside her cousin. She turned, and waved at the boys on the screen.

" Hello Gorgeous Girl I've Never Met." Atticus made a little bow. " I'm Atticus Rhodes. And you are?"

" Engaged." Lia cut in, looking warningly at the boy. Atticus held up his hands in surrender.

" I can't even get the lady's name?"

" Magda Shanner." Magda tossed her red curls with a laugh. " Nice to meet you."

" That's an unusual name." Atticus all but purred. Lia glared at him, but her cousin let out a throaty chuckle that was so similar to her cousin's that the boys had to double check to see who had laughed.

" He's cute, Li'l Lia. Hold on to that one." She winked. " And you're right; he _is_ a flirt."

" You've heard of me?" Atticus blinked, looking surprised. Lia huffed and pulled herself away from the table, making her way over to where the bowl of batter sat. Magda watched her go with a pout.

" Oh sure, _you_ can do whatever you like with the bowl."

" I'm the one baking!" Lia insisted, mixing the batter around with the spoon, before reaching out with one hand to drag a platter with a cookie sheet on it over.

" You're in an apron." Atticus whispered, mystified. " You're in an _apron_."

" Yeah, so?" Lia reached in and swiped some of the batter onto her finger to taste. " I _am_ baking."

" Atty, it's not like she's never worn one before." Jaden said with a shrug. On the screen, Atticus' head whipped to the side to stare at Jaden on his own computer.

" You mean she's dressed up like this before, and you two never told me?"

" I hate to interrupt," Magda looked like she was having far too much fun watching the boys debate back and forth, " but what is so intriguing about my baby cousin in an apron?"

" I'm not your baby cousin!" Lia snapped, carefully rolling the batter into little balls on the sheet.

" Because she looks so cute!" Atticus huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. " She's totally adorable, especially with that smear on her face!"

" What, again?" Lia frantically started to wipe her cheeks.

Atticus wailed, Syrus shook his head, and Jaden simply beamed. Magda turned to look at her little cousin, who was peering at her reflection in one of the metallic implements scattered around the counter. While her face was scrunched up in concentration, there was laughter in her eyes, making the hazel orbs gleam slightly. Her cheeks were mildly flushed, both from flitting around the kitchen almost non-stop for an hour, and the compliments the boys were throwing her way with a kind of ease that made Magda a little jealous. Lia never took compliments well, citing that since the ones paying them were family, they were obligated to say nice things to her. The brunette had never really accepted the kind words from anyone, not even Magda herself, but here were three boys, barely older than Lia herself, showering her in compliments and teasing her to their hearts' content. Here were three boys whom Magda had never met, making Lia smile as though they'd hung the moon in the sky for her alone.

The redhead couldn't help it. She giggled.

" What?" Lia asked, giving up on cleaning her face and moving to put the tray in the oven.

" Nothing." Magda smiled. " The Flirt is right. You _are_ kinda cute. Sometimes."

" Not you too." Lia sighed, pushing the tray into the oven and closing the door. Peeling off her oven mitts, she walked over, red apron shifting with her movements.

" Atty's right about the apron. It's cute." Syrus smiled sweetly up at her, and Lia glanced down at the snowflake patterned cloth she had put on over her dark red turtle neck and jeans. With a shrug, she crossed her arms and tried not to look too pleased with herself.

" Whatever."

" How come you don't bite _Syrus'_ head off whenever he says something nice about you?" Atticus whined, pouting in a way that Lia was sure he practiced in the mirror. She smirked.

" Simple. Because he's Syrus, and you are not."

" That's not fair!" Atticus protested, and opened his mouth to complain more.

A sound from the other room cut him off. A second later, the door on the opposite side of the room opened, and a woman with long, dark hair and eyes the same shade as Lia's poked her head in.

" Lia, ma chou, nous avons besoin de toi. Peux-tu nous aider avec l'arbre?"

Lia smiled slightly, and got up, untying her apron as she went.

" Oui, oui. Je viens, Maman."

Magda waved at the woman from her seat at the end of the table.

" Hi, Aunt Beline."

" 'Allo, ma chérie." The woman gave her a bright smile. " And 'ow iz zat man of y'rs?"

" Federigo will be flying up here for Boxing Day, Auntie."

" Maman, l'arbre?" Lia laid the apron over the side of the chair. The woman nodded.

" Bien sûr." She waved to the redhead. " You dun't mahnd watching zee biscuits, do you, ma cherie?"

Magda shook her head.

" No, it's cool. Go." She shooed Lia after the woman. Lia narrowed her eyes.

" Fine." She glared at the screen (specifically, Atticus). " _Behave_. No flirting with my engaged cousin, got that?"

" Your distrust wounds me."

" I choose to take that as a 'Yes Ma'am'." Lia rolled her eyes, but quickly made her way out of the kitchen. Magda watched her go, leaning her cheek against the hand propped up at the elbow.

" What have you done to that girl?"

" Huh?" The younger brunet (Jaden Yuki, that was his name. Magda remembered Lia trying to explain the boy to her. She remembered Lia rolling her eyes a lot and struggling to find the right words to describe him, a silly, soft little smile on her face the entire time) asked, looking puzzled and innocent and so sweet that it caused a strange, bittersweet yearning to ripple through Magda's chest.

Distantly, so far in the back of her mind that she barely acknowledged it, she wondered if a pudgy child's face with her eyes and her lover's delicate Italian features would ever look up at her like that.

" She's different now." Magda said softly, not entirely sure of where to begin.

" Different? That's good, right?" The blue-haired boy was talking now (Syrus. Syrus Trusedale. Magda remembered Lia beaming and talking about him in a way that might've been cooing if it was coming from anyone else.)

Magda bit her lip.

" Right?" The boy asked, more insistently. Jaden patted Syrus on the shoulder, trying to calm him down silently. The other brunet (Atticus SomethingorOther. A total flirt and an absolute gem. Lia had been bright red and a little snippy, but the corners of her mouth had been upturned, and Magda remembered the gentleness in her voice when she'd talked about the older boy) gave her a hard look.

Magda almost pulled back, wondering if she had any right to try and explain. Lia clearly hadn't given the boys any back story, but...

She's looked so happy all last summer...

The older girl shook her head.

" Lia..." She began, wondering how to start. " Lia...She's the baby of the family, honestly. There's a bunch of us cousins, but she's the youngest, on her father's side at least. We all dote on her. We get a little crazy, 'cause she's really such a cutie and she can be really sweet when it comes down to it.

" But she's never been a very happy person." Magda started to gather steam, and words simply began to slip out naturally. " She's always been pretty withdrawn. She never really brought friend home, and when she talked about school, it was always about homework and projects and stuff." Magda shook her head. " Even when she came to visit Nana and Grandpa over the summers, she just hung around the house and didn't really try to make any new friends. She always...she always had this serious look on face, like she was trying to figure out the answer to some really tough question." She shook her head.

" She didn't even really get along with anyone. I mean, she was nice enough to all of us, but that's because we were family, and her grandmother on Aunt Beline's side basically drilled it into her head that 'blood is thicker than water' and all that. But outside of family? No, there was no one. I can't even imagine what school musta been like. She was just..." Magda paused, looking for the right words. " Lia was so...she was just so...distant. It was like she wanted nothing to do with anyone."

" Even as a little kid?" Jaden murmured. Magda snorted.

" Especially as a little kid." The redhead sighed. " She grew up with her parents bickering like crazy. My Aunt and Uncle...they got married too soon. They didn't wait to see if they were compatible. The whole family agrees that they should've waited a few more years before taking the plunge, but they didn't, and by the time Lia was born, they'd already started to grow apart. That's what Lia grew up with. Two parents who could barely look at each other. She grew up knowing that her parents didn't love each other anymore. And they were so wrapped up in their own problems that they didn't have much time for her." Magda snorted again. " I mean, god, Aunt Beline's boyfriend is more of a father to her than Uncle Liam was. Lia's never, ever been close to anyone."

The redhead look up, eyeing the boys seriously.

" And then, last June, she came back home from that school and..." Magda smiled.

" And I've never seen her so happy."

She let her words sink in for a moment. From the other room, quiet conversations in French drifted in, and with it, the pleasant sound of Lia's laughter.

" She was all smiles and skipping around and...and...She was absolutely radiant. She was making jokes with me over the phone, and sometimes, when she got all sigh-y, she would just curl up on a deck chair and look at her pictures on her camera. She was...I can't remember the last time she smiled so much."

The older girl offered a pleased smile to the stunned boys.

" So, whatever you did...thank you. You made my baby cousin smile, and you have no idea how much that means to me, or my family. So, thanks."

There was a beat of shocked silence. Magda wondered, not for the first time, if Lia had even made mention f her less than ideal past, or the insecurities that resulted from it. She, Magda knew, hated to bring up her father in any capacity, breezing over questions and even, when it became too much for her, leaving the room when the adults traded stories of their high school and university days. She shied away from any mention of the 'bad years', and the divorce was still a subject to be handled with extreme care around her. Magda could barely imagine what it must've been like, five-years-old and watching her parents fight over things that she, even with her young mind, knew to be frivolous. Lia had known that her parents didn't love each other. She'd known that the way they felt about their daughter was murky at best, swinging between sincere affection, and seeing her as just one more mistake in their doomed marriage. The self esteem issue that resulted were brutal, but not crippling. But Lia had developed in a very unsociable manner, and Magda had despaired of the girl ever finding someone willing to put up with her attitude and jibes long enough to see the scared, trembling little girl within.

Magda remembered the breath-taking smile her little cousin had given her when she'd turned up at the New York airport with her mother, waiting for their connecting flight.

The redhead beamed.

" You guys are a good influence."

" We love her." Jaden said abruptly, his face serious. Magda blinked, and the cute child he'd been only moments before faded away into the background. This, she realized, was the face of someone who didn't give up at the first sign of trouble, and stuck things through to the end.

This was the face of the kind of person Magda wanted Lia to have in her life.

" We love so much it hurts us sometimes." Jaden continued passionately. " She's...she's just as precious to us as she is to you. She's...I mean, to all of us, she's..."

" She's family." Syrus said, with a look of defiance, as though daring the woman in front of him to try and contradict him.

" Promise me you'll look after her." Magda said before she could stop herself. " Promise me...She's special, I know that much. Promise me she'll always be safe with you."

" I'll tell you the same thing I told her." Atticus said, his face grim. " I said I'd protect her, come Hell or high water. I intend to keep that promise, no matter what."

And suddenly, like lightning striking her, Magda realized that it was okay.

She could give her baby cousin to the people before her.

" I'll hold you to that." The redhead whispered as Lia shuffled back into the kitchen, brushing pine needles out of her hair.

" Chaque année, c'est le même chois." She muttered under her breath, and sat back down in her seat. " So, what I miss? Has Atticus behaved himself?" She glared at the older brunet, who shrunk back in fear. Jaden laughed and Syrus rolled his eyes at the older boy's reaction. Magda chuckled.

" Oh, he's been great. The boys and I were just having a nice little chat about school." Her grin went wicked. " What's this I hear about Aster Phoenix?"

" What?" Lia shrieked and whipped around to launch into a tirade at the boys on the screen. Magda pushed herself out of the chair and sauntered out of the kitchen, snickering as the boys protested their innocence, all but drowned out by Lia's rapid fire French being hurled at them. There was no need to point out that she'd read her little cousin's e-mails from 'Jasmine', stocked full of juicy gossip though they may be.

Magda snuck one last glance at the scene. Lia was red face and swearing like a sailor, scowl on her pretty face as each boy tried frantically to save his own skin. Jaden had lapsed into what the redhead could only assume was his native tongue, while Atticus was arguing back in perfectly understandable Quebecois, and Syrus had given up and was shaking his head silently.

But Lia's hazel eyes were glittering, and the corners of her mouth threatened to pull up into yet another radiant smile.

Magda blew an unseen kiss to her cousin, and exited the room, humming quietly.

" _...And gather all above. _

_While mortals sleep, _

_the angels keep _

_their watch of wandering love._"

* * *

Hello, everyone! I hope you all enjoyed this little peek into Lia's home life! And I get to introduce Magda 'Maggie' Shanner, Lia's cousin on her father's side. She's so well liked by Beline's side of the family that she's still invited to family gatherings even though Beline and Liam (that's right, Lia's dad has a name!) were divorced before his death. Speaking of which, more on Lia's rather painful past! Yay, character development!

And now, some translations:

Lia, ma chou, nous avons besoin de toi. Peux-tu nous aider avec l'arbre?" - Lia, my honey, we need you. Can you help us with the tree.

" Oui, oui. Je viens, Maman." - Yes, yes, I'm coming Mom.

Chaque année, c'est le même chois - Every year, it's the same thing.

The ending lyrics are from the song 'Little Town of Bethlehem', although I'm not sure it's exactly right. See, I'm used to the Swedish version, which has the middle stanza in English. I don't know if it's the universal English stanza.

And yes, Lia does most of the Christmas baking. She can't really cook, but she can bake up a storm.

And now, a confession: Looking through the folder for Year Two, I noticed that I had actually forgotten to upload a chapter; the real chapter 25 never got added to this fic. It's not a life-changing chapter. It's just the aftermath of Lia meeting Sartorius (getting mad at Aster and yelling at him as he flirts), and having a very brief conversation with Bastian at dinner. It really doesn't amount to much in the grand scheme of things (although the Lia/Aster interaction is kinda cute, if I do say so myself), so it can easily be left out, and you won't lose anything as far as the story goes. But if you guys really want me to upload it, I can. I'll just have to fiddle around with the chapters and the documents and re-upload everything from chapter 25 onward.

Let me know if you want the chapter that bad.

Merry Christmas, or whatever it is that you celebrate, and I'll see you all next week for the trip back!

MoS


	32. Burning Dreams

Warnings: Dreams. And not the fun kind.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_.

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

The boat ride back was uneventful. Sartorius, thankfully, kept to his assigned cabin and barely came out; he was around at meal times, but he and his dorm sat on the opposite end of the cafeteria, so Lia had no trouble ducking to avoid him. And because he was being such a recluse, the rest of the Society followed suit. There were no shouting matches, no merciless bouts of cruel teasing, and certainly no glazed eyed, politely smiling Chazz to creep everybody out. The most interesting thing that happened was that Aster started hanging around the Slacker Club (or what was left of it), actually stopping to hold conversations, mainly with Jaden, and sometimes with Lia, when she wasn't helping Atticus try to get the swelling on his eye to go down. The conversations never really amounted to much, about cards or memories of people who were gone, depending on who he was talking to, but the point was that the pro-star was finally coming out of his shell and interacting with other people, and that made Jaden smile.

(Perhaps the funniest incident had been when Jaden had gone into the cafeteria, only to find Lia and Aster at the Slacker Club's usual table, arguing about something. While he had been too far away to make out anything more than the angry tone of voice they were both using, Jaden had stayed put, leaning against the doorframe as Aster gestured widely around the room. Lia had scoffed at him, waving his words away dismissively. Aster had then pointed at Lia herself, and said something that had her flushing. She'd jumped up and started yelling, to which Aster had simply given her a smug smile. When she couldn't goad him into responding, Lia had stormed off, Aster calling after her in a teasing voice. A few minutes later, Lia had come back, tall glass of lemonade in her hand.

She'd then proceeded to dump it over Aster's head, and smile wickedly at his stunned face.

Which, of course, had prompted the pro-star to throw his half-full glass of soda at her.

Which had caused Lia to grab a plate of salad heaped high with fixings and drenched in dressing, and heft it at Aster's face.

And from there on, the food fight had started.

By the time it had died down and Jaden had dared to peek into the cafeteria again, Lia had stomped out, covered from head to toe with food and dripping with multi-coloured drinks. But when he'd opened his mouth to ask after her, she'd just smiled and told him not to ask, and walked off towards her room for a shower. Jaden had blinked after her and shook his head, turning to go into the cafeteria.

Aster had been standing there, just as messy as Lia, watching her go with a expression of adoration on his face)

It wasn't until they got back to Duel Academy that things started to get interesting again.

' There's a Gothic Lolita serving us tea.' Jaden fought the urge to twitch as Alice placed a cup of lightly steaming liquid in front of him, grinning brightly as she did so. Coming back to find his dorm suddenly sparkling clean had been enough to set Jaden on edge. Finding a young girl leaning over the edge trying to make nice with them might've slipped by his radar last year, but he was older and wiser and more scarred than he had been, and strangers, even nice one who cleaned dorms and made tea, made him suspicious. He didn't like being suspicious, but something about the girl just didn't sit right with him. She had impeccable manners, and a cheerful personality, but there was something off about the way she did everything, as if she was only going through the motions with no real thought behind it.

" So, why are you making us tea, if you don't mind my asking?" He brought the cup to his lips, and sipped. It was very nice tea, just the right amount of sugar in it to make it sweet, but not overpoweringly so.

" I just wanted to make a good impression." Alice said sweetly (sweeter even than the tea. Jaden's eyes narrowed).

" When did you come here, Alice?" Syrus asked, swirling the tea around in his cup without drinking it. " It must've been lonely, what with all of us on the trip."

The girl favoured him with a smile that, the previous year, would've made the boy red in the face. As it was, he kept up his look of polite interest.

" It was okay. I didn't have anything else to do, so I thought maybe I could spruce the dorm up for when you got back. Just my way of trying to make friends with my new dorm-mates."

" Ya didn't have ta do all that!" Hassleberry insisted, and both older boys shared a look. The younger Ra's face was bright red, his eyes starry, and he was looking at Alice like she'd descended from Heaven in a golden shaft of light.

" It was no problem. I really wanted you guys to like me!" Alice insisted right back, primly sitting herself down in the seat beside Hassleberry. The boy in question light up like a firework-filled sky, and Jaden fought the urge to starting banging his head on the table.

" You coulda just showed up at our doorstep, and we'da lahked ya!"

" Really? You guys are so sweet!"

" Not half as sweet as you, Miss Alice!"

" Oh, just Alice is fine."

" If you insist, _Alice_."

" Wow, I was hoping that you guys would be nice, but this is beyond anything I expected. I think we're all gonna get along great. I'm so glad I transferred here!"

" Yeah, about that. Where did you transfer from? I thought the only way in was-"

" Quit buggin' her, Trusedale! What does it matter where's she's from? The important thing is that she's here now!"

" But, Hassleberry-"

" No but's, Trusedale! Can't you see you're upsetin' the lady?"

But Alice didn't look upset. In fact, she looked positively cheerful, if her bright smile and rosy cheeks were anything to go for. Jaden noticed that her face hadn't lost any colour, her pink cheeks never once dimming, and wondered just how much blush the girl had to be wearing to achieve such a look. Her red lips were curled up in the same smile she'd greeted them with, and while it was a far cry from the smile Chazz had tended to give him when they crossed paths for the past few months (the next day was the first day of February, and that meant the changing of the classes for the new semester. Had it really been five months since the start of the year? Was his second year really half over already? Jaden paused looked into his tea, and flinched when he realized that Chazz had been acting strangely for going on four months. He only had another half of the year to solve all the problems that seemed to be popping up; to get Chazz back; to save Alexis; to disband the Society of Light; to help Aster save Sartorius from whatever it was that was possessing him. It was a formidable list, and some days, Jaden's head hurt just thinking about it), it still gave Jaden the creeps.

" No, no, it's okay." Alice waved off Hassleberry's concerns. Then, with a disarming little smile, she turned to Syrus, who looked at her over his tea, clearly unconvinced. " I transferred from-"

A shrill beeping interrupted her, and Alice jumped to her feet, clapping her hands together.

"Oh, the cookies are done!" She ran off into the kitchen, but peeked back out. " I'll be right out, so don't go anywhere."

" Ain't she an angel?" Hassleberry cooed, looking after her. Over his head, both Syrus and Jaden grimaced.

" Adorable." Syrus muttered darkly. Jaden shook his head, and placed his now empty teacup on its saucer. Then he stood.

" Listen, guys, I'm really tired. I didn't sleep so great on the boat last night, so I'm gonna catch a nap before dinner. Tell Alice thanks for the tea." He made his way to the door.

" Feel better, Aniki." Syrus called after him. Jaden grinned.

" Does this mean I get ta have your cookies?" Came Hassleberry's voice, and Jaden let himself laugh.

" Knock yourself out soldier." He shouted as he climbed the stairs. Yawning, he fumbled with the key and opened the door, almost sighing in relief as he noticed that, aside from the sparkle and the fresh smell, his room was basically just the same as he'd left it. With staggered movement, he stripped off his jacket, lay it on the back of the chair, and collapsed onto the bed, kicking off his shoes with great effort. He crawled in, nuzzled the pillow as he tried to find a comfortable position, and flipped onto his back, thinking that he'd check-up on Cyber Tutu just as soon as he'd rested his eyes for a bit

He was asleep in twenty seconds flat.

_There was white all around him._

_It was blazing in front of his eyes and so searing hot that it made his skin blister. He flinched back, trying to walk way, but the heel of his foot found nothing but empty air and he stumbled, falling to his knees. Glancing back, he gulped as he saw that all around him, wicked, threatening spikes rose up, encircling him and boxing him in, until there was just him and the whiteness in front of him. Because it wasn't all around him, like he'd thought. It was in front of him, and he'd been touching it with his hands, and it had stung, racing across the palms of his hands like a heavy whip. He'd stumbled, trying to get away. Or had he been trying to get closer? The pain was gone now, and there was a pleasantly hum of warmth in his hands left in the wake of the whip crack. Or maybe it had always been there, hidden under the sting. He thought that maybe he could endure the sting to feel the warmth. He wanted to try again. His hands didn't look blistered anymore. In fact, they looked sturdier, somehow, as if the pain had made them thicker._

_He reached out and touched the whiteness._

_There was a slight sting, smaller this time, and he bore it until it became a slap, a punishing surge of electricity that set his nerves alit. He yanked his hands back, cursing, and then tripped on the spikes again, throwing his still stinging hand out to catch himself before his impaled his body on the them._

_And then, instead of cool metal, there was gritty stone, and he realized that they weren't so much spikes as they were spikey rocks that jutted out around him, and for some reason, that was so much worse._

_The feel of rock under his fingers made him shake, and he hastened to let go, to pull away and stop holding on to them like they were his lifeline when they weren't. When they shouldn't ever be._

_But a great, empty darkness had opened up around him, and he was slipping into it. He scrambled up the rock even more, fingers curling around the spike at the tip._

_" Stop it!" He shouted, and from somewhere, the wind started howling. " Stop it, this isn't funny anymore!"_

_But when had it ever been funny before? And for that matter, when was_ _**before**, anyway?_

_He had no answer. The spike was stabbing his palm, and he felt something wet run down his wrist. It should've been hot, but it was cold, and when he looked, there was no blood on his arm, only water, and then he realized that it was raining and he was soaking wet and the rocks –spikes- were slipping out from under his fingers, and he hand to grapple with his hands just to stay up and out of the great nothingness that was opening up underneath him._

_" Stop it, stop it, I don't like it!" He cried, but the wind was screeching around him, and it was sucking the air out of his lungs and stealing his words and choking him. The wind was wrapping around his throat and squeezing until little stars erupted over his vision and he couldn't see straight._

_No, not the wind._

_Tiny, thin little curls of black that were reaching out of the pit under his to try and haul him down. He loosened one had and swatted at them, slipping precariously down._

_There was a low roar that echoed up at him, and he blanched, the stone under his hand wet with rain and the little curls of darkness slipperier than the stone, and suddenly, the roaring was above him and it was thunder, and he could see dark clouds over him._

_His fingers slipped a little._

_White lightening danced across the darkened sky, and all he could think of was that the whiteness in front of him suddenly looked so much darker..._

He was being shaken.

Jaden sat up in bed, the sheets tangled around his legs and his black top pushed up over her stomach. Sweat dripped down from his brow and streamed down to his chin, gathering in a little drop and wobbling before falling, but he was shivering. He forgot how to breathe for a second, and when he tried it came in as a gasp, as though he expected the passage to be blocked. The breath came in too fast and he choked on it, bending over his bent knees and coughing until he was dry-heaving, his stomach in cramps and trying to protest. A soft hand pressed into the small of his back, and another pushed on his shoulder, pulling him back until he was looking into the still battered, but concerned face of Cyber Tutu.

He tried to speak, but his throat seized up in protest. Tutu pressed a finger to his lips.

' _Shush. No talking. You were crying out. Just breathe now. Everything's okay_.' She stroked his hair, and Jaden fell back against the bedpost, breathing deeply and trying to sort out his scattered thoughts.

A burst of warmth soothed the ache in his stomach, and he looked down. Burstinatrix was sitting cross-legged on the bed, one hand glowing red and pressed just under his chest. She smiled when she saw him looking.

' _Easy there, Jay_.' She moved her hand in small circles. ' _You're freaking out. Just try to relax. We're here. Nothing bad will happen_.'

Jaden nodded, still too breathless to speak. Winged Kuriboh flitted to his shoulder, lovingly nuzzling his face and hair, cooing softly. Jaden started petting the monster, closing his eyes and turning his head to press a gentle kiss into its shaggy fur. Kuriboh let out a whirring noise of euphoria, and then settled on Jaden's chest, the tips of its folded wings just brushing his chin.

"I...I think I'm okay now." He whispered, and Burstinatrix pulled her hand back.

' _We kept the boys from coming_.' She said, winking at him. ' _Both sets. It was a bit of a hassle_.'

' _You were crying_.' Tutu said, brushing the hair out of his face. Jaden nodded.

" So, that's why Syrus and Hassleberry aren't here?" He dissolved into a fit of coughing. Tutu held him steady.

' _We have powers of our own. Not as great as Neos might have, but enough to sound-proof the room_.' Burst explained when he'd quieted.

" Thanks." He murmured, absentmindedly patting Winged Kuriboh. Burst shrugged off the thanks, grinning at him in her tomboy way. Tutu leaned over and stroked his cheek, tears gathering in her eyes.

' _You were crying_.' She reiterated. ' _You were crying and I wanted you to stop. I wanted you to be okay. I never want you to cry because you shouldn't be hurt. You are too strong and too important and no one should ever try to hurt you_.' The smile she gave him through her tears was heartbreaking.

' _Alexis is burning and I can't make her stop so I won't let anything burn you_.'

* * *

An hour later, Jaden opened the door to the dining room of the Red Dorm, and smiled as Lia, Bastian, and Abeni walked in.

" Brier couldn't make it." Abeni explained, giving the older boy a bright look. She looked much better than she had the last time he'd seen her, and she had nearly all the colour in her face back. " He had some work he had to catch up on. He says he's sorry."

" So, what's up?" Bastian asked jovially.

Jaden opened his mouth, then frowned, and closed it again. He deliberated for a moment, searching for the words to adequately describe why he had called them out to meet him. Lia glanced at him when his silence stretched from contemplative to uncomfortable, but dismissed it and let him continue with a grace she hadn't possessed the previous year. At last Syrus grew too impatient and stepped up to the plate.

" ...We got a new student." He said at length, apparently just as lost for words as Jaden was. Bastian snorted.

" You called us out here just for that."

" She's...strange." Jaden muttered, keeping his voice low. At once, both Bastian and Lia perked up.

" Strange how?" Lia asked at the same time Bastian put in, " Bad strange?"

Jaden shook his head.

" Just...strange." He narrowed his eyes. " Something about her just doesn't sit right."

" So, what? We shouldn't go in there?" Abeni asked, leaning around Jaden. " 'Cause something smells fantastic."

" That'd be dinner." Syrus said.

The spread of food on the table was something else, and even Lia's jaw dropped.

" What the-?" She murmured, her eyes wide as the saucers Alice had served the tea on that afternoon. She blinked, rubbed her eyes, and then opened them again, looking honestly surprised to still see the feast on the table.

" She cooks?" Bastian asked skeptically. Syrus nodded, taking his seat.

" Yeah. Thanks for all this, by the way."

Alice, who had just been pushing a plate of roast at Hassleberry, looked up from the younger Ra and flashed Syrus a dazzling smile.

"No problem!" She chirped. " I really hope you like it."

" Looks great!" Abeni cooed, launching into the seat next to Syrus, Her one arm coiled around his, and the grin she gave Alice was just a little hard around the edges. " I'm Abeni Hasib, by the way. You can just call me Ben."

" I'm Alice."

" Nice to meet you." Her grip on Syrus tightened just a bit. Behind her, Lia let out a long-suffering sigh.

" Ho boy, here we go..."

" Well, I can see what Jaden meant." Bastian came up behind her. Lia looked over her shoulder at him curly brown bangs falling into her eyes.

" She's a little weird, that I get, but I don't know what has him so on edge."

" Maybe the trip it affecting him."

" Maybe."

" After all, he did have that experience in the virtual world."

" If we're going by that, I'd be more worried about Hassleberry and Syrus than Jaden."

" Yes, but Syrus has toughed up considerably since last year. And Hassleberry was tough to begin with."

" And Jaden's not tough?"

" It's not so much that he doesn't have the ability to bear it. It's just that...he's a little...prone towards...taking the blame, if you will."

" You meant he's got a martyr complex."

" Well, I wouldn't go so far as to-"

" Bastien."

" – Yes, he's got a massive martyr complex. He thinks that he has to save everyone, and when someone gets hurt, you know he takes it like a personal failure."

" It's annoying, that's what it is."

" Not the adjective I would've used, but alright."

" He's got this idea in his head that it's either him that saves us, or no one. He doesn't seem to realize that we can take care of ourselves."

" Not to mention the fact that every time one of us gets into trouble, or falls into some kind of trap, he runs in to save us with banners flying."

" Not we've ever shown that we can do otherwise."

" I think that it's because we don't get the chance to. Jaden always comes to the rescue before we get the chance to show case what we can do."

" It's not that I'm not grateful, because I am, it's just..."

" No, I know what you mean. It's wonderful to know that we can depend on him, but it might be nice to be able to fight our own battles ever so often."

" Yeah."

" C'mon. There's no use dwelling on it. Let's tuck in."

" You are so British."

" You say that like it's a bad thing."

" It might be."

" Somehow, I doubt it."

" Wipe that smug grin off your face."

" Make me."

" Shut up and eat."

" Well strange though she may be, you must admit this new girl's an excellent cook."

" I'll drink to that."

" You just want an excuse."

" And now I have one."

" Well, all things considered, there's only one thing about all this that I really regret."

" What's that?"

" That I didn't meet her first."

And Bastian grimaced as Lia's elbow dug viciously into his side.

Jaden sighed, and started to eat, knowing that as bizarre as the situation was, it was as close to normal as he and his friends were going to get.

* * *

Hey, sorry for being late; the New Year's party at the neighbour's went longer than we thought, and last night, I just got home and crashed. And then there were storms today, and I couldn't get onto the compy.

Anywho, here's this chapter. Personally, my favourite part is Jaden's dream. It creeps ME out, and I wrote it!

That should be it for this week,. Sorry for the lack, but I'm too excited to write much. My birthday's coming up, and I'm officially leaving my teens behind! Also, essays. University is so much fun. Whoo-hoo.

MoS


	33. Breaking Ties

Warnings: I'm sorry to all the Academicshippers reading this.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

_

* * *

_

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

" So wait, he went to _Jaden_ for love advice."

" I said he was a decent Duelist, not that he wasn't crazy."

" But...But...Jaden. And _love advice_."

" Trust me, I'm just as confused as you are."

" God, the world actually made_ sense_ before this moment."

" Seriously? The world made sense _before_ this moment? When has the world ever made sense?"

" It made sense before I came here."

" And what? Got pulled into a plan to take over the world using a card game?"

" No. It made sense before I came here and found out that you actually can use the words 'epic' and 'card game' together. And that it can be true."

" So you admit that our card games are epic."

" I admit that they have the potential to be. And come on, I watched Jaden save the entire world from three hulking monstrosities that were apparently sucking my soul out without my knowledge."

" Hey, at least you didn't have to get up close and personal with them."

" Right, yeah, sorry."

" Don't be. Sometimes, I get over sensitive."

" You have every right to be sensitive, Sy! I mean, _god_, you were...for so long...and..."

" You seem more shook up about this than I am."

" You weren't here for the aftermath. You didn't see...Zane was _crying_ Sy, actually crying. And I was so mad at him."

" Because you blamed him?"

" Because I couldn't blame him, not completely."

" What do you mean?"

" Sy, I wanted to hate him. I really wanted to just hate him with every fibre of my being. I went to him and I was ready to scream and yell and break things and he just...he just sat there, and I knew he'd take it. He'd take all my crap, and he'd probably believe it and I couldn't do it. He looked so miserable and so pathetic that I couldn't hate him anymore. And that made me so angry."

" You were angry at him because you couldn't hate him anymore? Lia, that doesn't make any sense."

" Shut up, I'm a girl."

" Yeah, and?"

" And that means I don't have to make sense all the time. I get to say things that are crazy and stupid and probably the most confusing things ever."

" And you're allowed to do that because you're a girl?"

" Exactly."

" Sounds like you're hiding behind your gender to me-"

" That _is_ what I'm doing."

" – and that's pretty unenlightened, wouldn't you agree?"

" ..."

" ..."

" Bite me, Shorty."

" Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. You and I both know you love me."

" I don't do 'love'. I tolerate you."

" You do a hell of a lot more than that. You _hugged_ me."

" That was _last year_, genius."

" You still hugged me. Twice, might I add."

" Well...you were crying. What was I supposed to do?"

" ..."

" Gah! Quit patting me! I'm not a dog! I don't need to be...shown affection like that!"

" You're so cute, Kitten."

" I am really starting to hate that name. And stop touching me."

" You act all tough, but underneath you're just a sweet little kitty-cat, aren't you?"

" Syrus, I swear to all that is holy, I will punt you out the nearest window."

" But the glass is really thick."

" Sy, you really wanna take that bet?"

" ...You even _look_ like a cat when you do that."

" _That's it_."

" Whoa, whoa, take it easy, there's no need to-Holy shit!"

" I've got three more textbooks in this bag, Sy. Just saying."

" Oh, look at all the pretty little birds..."

" I didn't hit you that hard."

" Fly, fly pretty birdies, fly away..."

" Oh for god's sake, Sy. I used by English textbook. It's the least heavy one!"

" If that's the least heavy one, I'd hate to see the heaviest."

" I knew you were faking."

" Who was faking? I'm gonna have a lump on my head for the next two weeks thanks to that throw!"

" Teach you to call me a cat."

" Now you're the one who's being too sensitive. Just take the compliment and be done with it."

" I just..."

" What?"

" ...I don't like it."

" Like what?"

" Being called those things."

" What things? Cute?"

" They make me feel embarrassed."

" Why?"

" I dunno. I guess I feel like I haven't done anything to deserve them."

" Huh? That makes no sense. You're cute, so I'm not so much complimenting you as I am telling you the truth."

" When you say it, I can almost believe it."

" Huh?"

" No, nothing."

" Why do I get the feeling it was something important?"

" Because you like to read meanings into things."

" Sure I do."

" C'mon, let's go. I have math and you have drama in five minutes."

" 'Kay. But Lia?" She stopped. Syrus looked up at her, cheeky grin on his face.

" You're even cuter when you're embarrassed."

And this time, Lia just smiled, and did not throw her math textbook at him.

* * *

Lia had invested most of her spare time at Duel Academy in being stupid-crazy over Bastian Misawa. That, of course wasn't saying much, because Lia found that at Duel Academy, spare time was a privilege. If she wasn't out hunting down people who wanted to unleash hell on the world, she was studying for a test. If she wasn't studying for a test, she was racing helter-skelter towards an unspecified doom, digging in her heels and trying to ward it off until her friends could get there to stop it. If she wasn't doing that, she was trying to catch up on all the sleep the other events undoubtedly caused her to miss.

Still, somewhere in between apocalypses, epic card games (the thought of which _still_ caused her to giggle, even though she'd seen a few and had to admit that 'epic' was the only word that seemed to fit), and pop quizzes, she'd still managed to find time to blush and fawn and sigh over the British boy who'd been so polite to her. He was different than all the other boys she met at the school. Her relationship with Syrus was too sympathetic to ever grow into anything else, because she wanted to protect Syrus and take care of him, and even mother him a little, and the thought of kissing him made her gag. Atticus was handsome and lovely and an absolutely wonderful catch, but she couldn't take him seriously and any romantic affection she had for him was tainted with the memory of Yasmin dying in his arms. She had the feeling that if Atticus had ever entertained, or would ever entertain, the thought of her as a potential girlfriend, the idea would always be juxtaposed with Yasmin's soft touch and bright green eyes. The Assailant would always hang like a shadow over them, and Lia knew it was only with a tentative grasp that they managed to hold onto their friendship. Chumley, she'd felt nothing but sisterly affection for, and while she'd had that gut-instinct attraction to Zane, she'd spent too long hating him to even consider looking at him.

And she didn't even want to think about Jaden.

If Atticus was her protector and Syrus her little brother, then Jaden was something that transcended the ordinary bounds of friendship. He was her hero, her saviour, and Lia never wanted to destroy that image by looking at him in a romantic light. The idea had never occurred to her. What she had with Jaden ran deeper than platonic or romantic relationships. It was something inside or her, a living, breathing entity that had been sleeping until that moment her eyes had first, truly met his. The moment had breathed life back into it, and Lia felt the connection between them, hard as she tried to fight it later, solid and heavy and real as any object in the room. Something in her soul knew him, above and beyond the mortal bounds of life and death, and the very idea of trying to change what they had made her feel sick.

She'd struggled, for quite some time, to find a word, or words, to adequately describe what she had with Jaden Yuki. The idea that a girl and boy were only friends was something everyone, even her own mother, had not been able to accept. And the word 'friends' sat ill with her. Friendships, as shown in the case of Alexis, could be broken, and torn asunder. What she had with Jaden was never going to break. Lia knew this. How she knew it, she couldn't fathom, but just as she knew she needed to breathe in order to live, she knew that whatever her connection with Jaden was, nothing was ever going to destroy it. Through hail and wind and fire it was going to endure, and sometimes, when she was alone in her bed at night, and half-way asleep, with visions of vivid shadows and lightening streaked skies dancing in front of her eyes, she wondered if something hadn't tried before.

The closest thing she could scrounge up was soul mate, and while it wasn't a perfect fit, it would do until she found something better.

But even if Jaden was her soul mate, it was Bastian she liked (Lia didn't _do_ love. The word left a bad taste in her mouth and made her wrinkle her nose up. Calling the crush she had on Bastian love was absurd, because she was only fifteen years old, and had a lot of life to get through before she was enough of an adult to know real love when she felt it). And it was Bastian who she'd been trailing after, fruitlessly, for going on a year and a half.

Lia wasn't stupid. She'd given herself a harsh pep talk after the Tanya incident, but then Bastian had come crawling back, apologizing to all of them, and looking so earnest and sweet that she'd had trouble turning him away. And before she could blink, when he'd thanked her for putting up with him, her heart had leapt with hope and she'd been in deeper than she'd ever been before.

The problem was that Bastian was kind and helpful and generous, but he was incapable of looking past their friendship. He was actually blind to the fact that Lia liked him. He saw her as another female friend, like Alexis, and treated her accordingly. No special treatment, no hints that maybe she wasn't alone in her affections, no singling her out in the crowd of their friends. Just honest, straight-forward camaraderie that both made her happy and dashed her hopes against the rocks.

The worst part was that she couldn't let it go. Every time she tried to talk herself into giving up on him, he did something nice, or helped her out, or just plain _smiled_ at her in that way that had made the dimples on his cheeks stand out and her knees go weak, and she was back to sighing dreamily and absentmindedly doodling 'Ottilia Misawa' in the margins of her notes. (Of course, as soon as she realized what she was doing, she quickly scratched it out, red-faced. More than once, Jessica had caught her in the act, but all the blonde had done was smile knowingly and pretend she hadn't seen anything, and Lia was grateful for the chance to save face.) She knew she was being pathetic, but she just couldn't _help it_. He'd lean over her shoulder and show her where she'd gone wrong in her equation for math, and the butterflies would start up and her heart would skip a beat, and she'd be unable to breathe.

It made her act like a total fool, and she hated herself for it.

Because she knew, sooner or later, it was going to backfire and she was going to end up hurting worse than ever.

" You're leaving?"

Apparently, it was going to be sooner.

Lia leaned against the doorframe, watching the last of the Ra Duelists pack up their clothes and head for the door. Bastian was standing back, look of desperation on his face as he watched them go.

" We've seen the Light, Bastian. No use staying here."

" But you're all that's left of Ra!" He protested, and Lia flinched, the arms she'd crossed tightening across her chest.

" That's not true." One of the boys said. " You've still got all the Academics."

" Yeah, and that first year, Abeni. And that Brier guy."

Bastian's face shifted into a glare that lacked most of the heat he wanted to put into it.

" I thought you were my friends."

" We are!" The boy closest to him insisted. " That's why we're gonna talk Sartorius into letting you in!"

Bastian's jaw clenched, and Lia watched him flush with fury.

" I _don't_ need your charity, gentlemen."

But the boys were already leaving, waving goodbye. The door shut behind them, and the click of the lock settling into place echoing like a church bell in the silence. Bastian huffed, and turned to her.

" Can you believe that? As if _I_ need help! I could get into that Society if I wanted to, no problem!"

Lia shrugged, looking at a point just past his shoulder. Bastian was so into his rant that he didn't notice her lack of attention.

" I am one of the best Duelists in this school! I'm certainly the best in this dorm. The Society clearly hasn't gone after me because they're afraid of my talent, wouldn't you agree?"

He didn't wait for her to answer, just jumped into another train of thought. Lia was grateful. She didn't really have the will to point out to Bastian that he _wanted_ to be asked to join the Society, because them neglecting him was wreaking havoc on his ego. And Bastian was nothing if not proud.

" –matter what Aster Phoenix says, I'm top calibre!"

Lia jolted, her mind flashing with images before she could stop hit.

The pouring rain hitting the roof in little 'plinks'; the sound of shouting lost to the wind, a face, upturned and soaking wet, the rain disguising the tears the blue eyes were letting loose, but unable to hide the misery written in every line and curve...

No. She shut her eyes tight. She didn't want to think about it. She didn't want to think about bonds and understanding and someone who'd suffered the same pain as her.

" Right, Lia?"

She looked at him, and in that split second, with his eager eyes on her, her walls came tumbling down.

"Aren't you happy here?" She whispered, head down.

" What?" How could he be so confused? It was a simple question.

" Are you happy? Here, in the Ra Dorm?" She clarified.

"Well, sure, but-"

Lia raised her head, and the sparkle of tears in them stopped him dead.

" Then why can't you just stay here? Why can't you just be happy with what you have?" She shook her head. " You don't need them to verify it. You're a good Duelist. Don't let them tell you otherwise."

" Of course I'm a good Duelist." His chest puffed out with pride, before caving again. " What I don't understand is why the Society hasn't come after me yet."

" Maybe instead of wondering that, you should be grateful that they don't want you."

It was the wrong thing to say, and she knew it the second the words left her mouth.

" Why wouldn't they want me? I'm the best in this dorm! I've defeated scores of Obelisk Blue students, including Chazz! I've held my own against Jaden, and that's not an easy thing to do! Why on Earth would they not want me?"

" I don't know, okay?" Lia bit her lip to keep the tears at bay. " I don't know. Maybe they're stupid, or maybe they're trying to hurt you, or maybe this is all part of some huge plan to get to Jaden, but the fact remains that you haven't been asked to join, so why can't you just be happy here with-" She cut herself off abruptly, eyes widening as she realized what she'd been about to say.

" With what?" Bastian prompted, and in his face was a disinterest that let Lia know that he hadn't caught her slip. He didn't even notice that there was a slip. He didn't care enough to.

" –what you have." She finished, and it wasn't what she wanted to say.

Bastian sighed.

" I shouldn't have expected you to understand." He patted her on the shoulder dismissively as he passed. " This is something only a Duelist can know, and you're an Academic."

He headed for his room, and left her alone in the hall. It wasn't until she'd managed to stumble back to her room that she slipped down against the back of her locked door and surrendered to a storm of weeping, lamenting the fact that, once again, she hadn't been enough to make the most important man in her life stay.

Two days later, Lia came back from class, refusing to look at Bastian as he tried to show off his new Society robes, to find that a piece of paper had been slipped under the door. It was a plain, white piece of paper, and there was no signature on it.

All there was was a short, poignant message.

_**If he's stupid enough to leave you, then he isn't worth the tears.**_

She didn't recognize the hand writing.

At the same time Lia stood there in her room, contemplating the message, a thousand miles away, in a snowy mountain temple, Zane Trusedale stood, contemplating the small metal, inscribed with the letters _GX_ that Sheppard had given him. There was a frown on his handsome face.

The medal glimmered in the firelight, and in Zane's mind, an image of his brother, shining-eyed and adoring, flashed.

Zane smirked, a look of fanatical glee lighting up his eyes with an unholy light.

" Alright." He flicked the medal up with his thumb. " I'll play your little game, Sheppard."

The medal spun in the air.

Zane snatched it with his hand, grinning at his closed fist.

" Might be nice to see what my little brother thinks of my new outlook."

* * *

Sorry for being late. I went back a few days early last week and...adjusting happened this week.

So, here we are. The official end of Academicshipping. I'd like to apologize to everyone who wanted Lia to get together with Bastian. I've done a lot of thinking about the subject, even more than I did while planning this story out (because I really don't give too much focus to romantic relationships. I mostly write about the friendships.), and I came to the conclusion that, as they are now, Lia and Bastian would make a pretty good couple. They're both intelligent, a little socially awkward, and can keep up with each other. The way they stand right now (well, not after this chapter, but not-Society obsessed Bastian), the two could probably realistically date. So yes, Academicshippers are onto something

Unfortunately, neither of them are done (Bastian to a lesser extent, as he'll be gone for the first half of Year Three). They both still have a long way to go. Lia especially. Lia's going to grow a lot more in Year Three, the person she's eventually going to be, the girl I'm aiming for writing...she's not a good match for Bastian. She's too upfront, too helpful. There's not much I can tell you without giving away some serious spoilers but...Lia's meant to be a hero. Before the end of this, she'll be one of the first rushing out to the front lines, ready to fight. Bastian is too much the guy with the plan. He's a strategist. And as we've seen, he's got a fragile ego. He's really not gonna be able to handle the girl Lia's gonna become. At least, not like he is now. And once he grows up a bit, I think that the girl Lia will be won't really be interested in him anymore.

Lia's path is fundamentally different from Bastian's, and the man she's with has to be able to accept that he doesn't get first dibs on her. Some greater power does. And Bastian, I don't think, could handle that. He's need to be first in her thoughts, and Lia's thoughts, by the end, will always be about the world, the war, and...well, that would be spoiling it, now wouldn't it?

So, no Academicshipping. If you really want it, you can check out Aimlessly Unknown's piece 'Loving Lia', which takes four scenarios that never happened for Academicshipping, Bickershipping (LiaxChazz) Protection/Flirtshipping (LiaxAtticus) Goldshipping (LiaxJaden ...It'll make sense later). For those of you who like Slapshipping (LiaxAster...yes, I'm aware of how wrong that sounds, but my friends and I made it up as a joke, and it just STUCK), you're in luck, as they're going to get more interaction as time goes on.

So, I'll see you soon for the next chapter (coming right up next)!

MoS


	34. Starting Positions

Warnings: The return of the conspiracy theorists and a certain Southern Beau!

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_.

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

The rumour was that Sheppard was back. This was of course followed by several rumours about Crowler being demoted, Crowler being fired, and Crowler being kicked off the island for doing a bad job as Chancellor and getting black-listed from every school board in the Northern Hemisphere (that one got cheers). Of course, there was other rumours that followed in the wake of those rather comforting and tame ones (for Duel Academy, they were about as harmless as rumours could get. When there were three monsters that could suck out souls sleeping under the school, and a new cult that gathered members by beating them in a duel, rumours tended to get a little crazy). There was a rumour that Sheppard had been off spying on the other Academies. And one that he actually had an entire mansion full of beautiful women on a deserted island somewhere, and they had kept him longer than he'd anticipated (that one got eye rolling). And the rumour where Sheppard was actually a serial killer who'd yet to be caught, and he'd been off getting the murderous impulses out of his system before he came back to school, because while he loved killing, dueling was his first love and he wouldn't jeopardize it for anything. (And, naturally, the conspiracy theorists had jumped on the Chancellor's absence, claiming he'd been going around, gathering the world's best for a dueling tournament he'd been secretly setting up since the end of the previous year, and he was going to use the tournament to broadcast and showcase the skills of the Duel Academy students, which would in turn get more people to apply to the school, which meant more money in the hands of the trustees, and Marx had been right, damnit! Society existed to serve those in power! The Light would see this injustice banished! Because apparently, going over to the Society of Light did nothing to stop the crazies from reading malicious intentions into things. No one every listened to them anyway, white coats or not.)

So when Sheppard announced that he was instigating the GX Tournament, he was met with stunned silence.

" No...way." Syrus breathed.

" You're shitting me. You've got to be shitting me." Atticus muttered, his eyes wide as they would go. Aster, who was sitting next to Mindy on his side, glanced at the older boy.

" What's got you all worked up? I mean, yeah, it's a tournament, but there's no need to get all crazy about it."

" That's not it." Jasmine winced from Atticus' other side. " They were right."

The pro-star's brow furrowed in confusion.

" Who was right?"

" _Them_." Mindy said, dropping her head into her hands. Aster opened his mouth to ask who she was talking about, but several rows up, three boys decked out in Society White leapt to their feet, crowing in delight.

" _Yes!_" One pumped his fist in the air.

" We were _right_!" A second yelled. The third pointed randomly at other students.

" In your faces! In your _mother fucking_ faces! We were right, bitches!"

" _You _all said we were crazy!"

" Who's laughing now, bitches?"

" Ha! I knew it!"

Jaden let his head fall to the desk with a thump as the boys started leaping up and down for joy.

" We are _never_ going to live this down."

" Who are they?" Aster asked, edging away.

" The conspiracy nuts." Syrus answered, shaking his head. " The one time, the _one freakin' time_..."

" They're gonna hold this over our heads forever." Jaden moaned. Behind him, Mindy made a noise of agreement.

" We have conspiracy nuts?" Aster blinked. " That's news to me."

" You haven't been here that long." Atticus was pinching the bridge of his nose. " Trust me, stick around for about a week, and you'll hear about another one of their crazy beliefs."

" God, we better warn Kitten when we get out of here." Jasmine sighed.

" Oh boy, heavy books and concussions all 'round." Syrus agreed, shaking his head.

" What?" Aster looked confused again. Jasmine gave him a withering look.

" Oh, c'mon, you're new but you're not _that_ new. You know perfectly well that Lia will probably clock these guys over the head with one of her textbooks just to shut them up."

" Yeah." Aster nodded as the image of a furious girl, lamenting the fact that she _hadn't_ been able to hit him with his own board, danced through his head. " I can see her doing that."

" She _has_ done that."

" Multiple times."

" You'd think they'da learned by now."

" Nutcases never do."

" Shame."

" At least it's amusing."

" What, listening to them?"

" No, Min. Watching them drop like rocks."

" You're cruel Jazz."

" I know."

" Did he say professionals?" Jaden asked, perking up. It was almost laughable, because there was a spot of red on his forehead where it had connected soundly with the desk. Aster snorted.

" And what am I exactly?"

Jaden waved his concerns off, grinning.

" You don't count Aster. You're out friend."

" Oh goody." The pro-star rolled his eyes. " Just what I was hoping for."

Jaden laughed an open, fond laugh, and let his eyes slide over to Aster's.

" You like us."

" I tolerate you. Nothing more."

Syrus snorted.

" God, you really _do_ sound like Lia when she's grumpy." Atticus added, smiling a Cheshire smile at him. " Have you ever considered-"

" Zip it." Jasmine said sternly, and whacked him on the back of his head. He yelped and rubbed the abused brown hair, pouting at her.

" What was that for?" He whined. The redhead huffed.

" Lexi is too caught up in the Society of Psychos to do it and Lia's in class. So I'm the one who has to keep you in line."

" I don't need to be kept in line."

" Oh yes you do."

" No I don't."

" Yes. Yes you do."

" Jazz, I do not."

" Atticus?" Aster cut in, looking bored. " Yes you do."

Atticus looked crestfallen.

"Aster!" He whined, leaning around Mindy to looking pleadingly at the pro. " You're supposed to be on my side."

" Why would I be on your side?"

" We're both guys!"

" Nice of you to notice."

" We need to stick together!"

" That would mean being around you more. I don't I'd like that."

" Come _on_, bro! Back me up!"

" You know what? I'm just gonna move down a row."

" What? No! Don't leave me alone with Jazz! She'll kill me."

" She won't kill you."

" Yeah, I promise. Maim, mutilate, mangle, maybe. But murder? Nah."

" Nice use of alliteration."

" Thanks."

As Syrus started to rub his temples, Hassleberry leaned over.

" Are ya sure we ain't the one hangin' out with the crazies?"

Syrus sighed, and looked up as Aster settled into the seat next to him, conveniently ignoring the pleading looks Atticus was sending the younger boy as Jasmine put him in a headlock and Mindy giggled behind her hand.

" Sometimes, I'm not sure." He agreed as he reached forward to yank Jaden back down into his seat.

* * *

Jaden liked fishing. He liked the feel of the fishing pole in his hands, and the bobbing motions it made when he caught something. He liked the smell of the ocean, salty and gentle, and he liked the way there was always a breeze coming off the water to combat the heat of the sun blazing down on him. More often than not, Jaden would curl up happily in the sunniest spot he could find, arrange the fishing pole so that he would feel it move if there was a bite, and let the combination of the cool breeze and the warm pavement under him lull him to sleep.

Jaden liked being able to sleep out in the open, by the ocean, but what he liked best about fishing was the silence.

More often than not, Jaden found himself on the receiving end of commands to save the world, challenges from people who thought that the colour of his jacket meant he would be an easy target, or just plain bad luck when it came to the decisions he'd made. Fishing helped him deal with it. The quiet meant he didn't have to think about any of the things that had been, up until the hook hit the water, pressing down on him like a dead weight, crushing and cursing and trying to flattening him under it. The 'plop' of the hook sinking into the water served as a pin pricking the bubble, and for a short time, Jaden was free of all the responsibilities that had been heaped on him.

In the silence, he thought of mundane things. What he was going to have for dinner, whether or not Mindy was crushing on that boy she'd sat next to during the last duel, if his mother was back from her trip or not. He thought about how Akimi-chan was doing in high school, or if Natsuki-chan had gotten Jishin to agree to go out with her yet, or if Haruka-chan, pretty, gentle Haruka-chan, still wore her hair up in bows. He thought about the fact that he was going to be seventeen in October. He thought about what he was going to ask his parents for as a present. He thought about how excited he was for the tournament.

He thought about all the things that really didn't mean all that much in the grand scheme of things, until he ran out of subjects, and his mind went blank. He lay back on the hot pavement, feeling the warm seep into his skin through his clothing. With a contented little noise in the back of his throat, Jaden rested his head on his arms, and drifted off to sleep.

_He had no answer. The spike was stabbing his palm, and he felt something wet run down his wrist. It should've been hot, but it was cold, and when he looked, there was no blood on his arm, only water, and then he realized that it was raining and he was soaking wet and the rocks –spikes- were slipping out from under his fingers, and he had to grapple with his hands just to stay up and out of the great nothingness that was opening up underneath him._

" _Stop it, stop it, I don't like it!" He cried, but the wind was screeching around him, and it was sucking the air out of his lungs and stealing his words and choking him. The wind was wrapping around his throat and squeezing until little stars erupted over his vision and he couldn't see straight._

_No, not the wind._

_Tiny, thin little curls of black that were reaching out of the pit under his to try and haul him down. He loosened one hand and swatted at them, slipping precariously down._

_There was a low roar that echoed up at him, and he blanched, the stone under his hand wet with rain and the little curls of darkness slipperier than the stone, and suddenly, the roaring was above him and it was thunder, and he could see dark clouds over him._

_His fingers slipped a little._

_White lightening danced across the darkened sky, and all he could think of was that the whiteness in front of him suddenly looked so much darker..._

_But he couldn't see it, because the lightening was blinding him. Spots were dancing in front of his eyes, and he could barely keep them open without them hurting. His fingers ached, and as another little tendril coiled over his foot, he smashed his leg into the rock, wincing. He heard the thing give a gut-wrenching scream as it connected._

_Everything on seemed to be burning, as if he'd been lit on fire and left to smoulder. He tried to breathe, but the air around his was too hot, charged with a nameless energy that ripped down his throat and stabbed at his lungs. He choked, and to his horror, something wet crawled up into his mouth and splattered out, staining his lips._

_His eyes forced themselves open, even as his free hand, the one he'd been using to bat the curls of darkness away, reached up to wipe his mouth, coming back sticky and wet. The thing in front of him blazed darker than he'd ever seen it, sucking the colour out of the world until Jaden was sure he was black and white, a sketch against rugged paper, easily erased. Wordlessly, he looked down at his palm._

_And cried out._

_Because there, plain as day and red as rose petals, was a smear of blood._

Jaden's eyes flew open.

Unlike the last time, he didn't sit straight but, but remained on his back, staring up at the blue sky without really seeing it. His chest heaved and he felt the telltale drops of sweat trickle down the side of his face, but other than that, the panic that had nearly overtaken him last time was kept under a tight grip, and by the time he sat up, swearing slightly, Jaden was able to breathe normally.

" So much for a relaxing afternoon fishing." He muttered, pulling the rod out of the water. There was a flicker of colour in the corner of his eyes as he did so, and he turned his head. There was nothing. Jaden frowned, and looked the other way, but there was nothing again. Pursing his lips, he lay the rod down on the hot pavement, watching the line hiss at the water that had gathered on it evaporated into steam, a little puff of it went up, circling towards the sky, and Winged Kuriboh shimmered in with a coo and a frown on his furry face.

Jaden turned away from the steam, and looked at his spirit.

" What's wrong, buddy?" He asked, but Kuriboh just bristled, glaring at where the fishing pole lay. Jaden turned back, and felt his stomach drop.

A small, black-purple cat-like creature with two too many ears and a flashing, red crystal at the end of her sleek tail was batting at the puffs of steam as they rose, oblivious to the world.

Images flashed before Jaden's eyes.

A rooftop under the sun, where a lost little spirit had come looking for him.

The weight of two spirits, each resting on one of his shoulders, drowsy and sweet and warm.

A plaintive cry that echoed not only over the field where he'd chosen to rest, but over the entire campus; filled with anguish and despair and a desperate, almost lost hope.

And finally, a pair of green eyes looking into his with warm affection, hands hot and tight over his own, a challenge and a declaration of friendship mixed into his tone.

Jaden's jaw hung open.

" Ruby-girl?" The nickname jumped out of his mind before he could stop it. The creature stopped her playful batting and looked up, pert black nose twitching in confusion. Then she caught sight of Jaden, sitting on the ground, staring at her, and her bright, pupil-less red eyes widened.

And then she launched herself forward with a delighted chirp, and landed on his chest with such force that he was knocked backwards. Kuriboh fluttered up, cooing disapprovingly, but Ruby Carbuncle ignored him. She peppered Jaden's face with warm, dry kisses, chirping happily, and even nuzzling his cheeks in her delight. Jaden laughed as her furry face tickled his skin, and brought a hand up to stroke her. Ruby purred under his palm, and rubbed his fingers enthusiastically as he found a place behind her ears on the left side.

" Missed you too, pretty girl." He said, smiling at her fondly. Ruby nuzzled his hand again and settled down onto his chest, rolling onto her back and basking in the sun. Kuriboh let out a noise that, had it been human, would definitely have been an indignant sputter, and zoomed forward to dislodge the interloper from his partner.

Only to be stopped as a voice sounded from over head.

" Ruby?" And Jaden found himself looking at the upside down image of Jesse Anderson.

" Fancy seeing you here." He quipped, and Jesse's green eyes drifted down to his face just as bright as Jaden remembered them. They lacked the frenzied, panicked look they'd had before though, and Jaden had to smile at that. The green eyes widened, and a smile stretched onto Jesse's face.

" Jaden!" He shouted, dropping to his knees to scoop his monster up. " C'mon, Ruby, let 'im up!"

Ruby, chirping angrily at being disturbed, jumped off Jaden and landed primly on her feet, bringing up a paw and starting to wash her face. Jaden turned over, grinning, and grabbed the hand that had been offered. He was yanked to his feet, and made a show of dusting himself off before meeting Jesse's almost euphoric expression.

" So, what brings you to our humble little island?"

"Whaddya think?" Jesse flashed him the GX medallion. Jaden, unsurprised by the fact that Jesse had it, nodded.

" So you've bonded with your cards?"

" Well enough." Jesse shrugged. " Ah don't think Ah'm quahte ready to take you on yet, Jaden."

Jaden's face fell a little.

" Aw, c'mon! And I was so getting ready to challenge you."

" Wait a little bit." Jesse put a hand on his shoulder. " Ah promise that Ah'll be ready for you someday, Jaden."

" You can call me Jay if you like."

Jesse went from smiling to beaming.

" Ah'd really lahke that."

Jaden linked an arm in Jesse, pulling him away from the dock, and started walking towards the school. Behind them the spirits had noticed they're movement, and both hurried to catch up. Ruby took a flying leap and landed where Jesse and Jaden's shoulders touched, while Winged Kuriboh settled on his other side and glared at the cat-like spirit. Jesse laughed at their antics.

" You shoulda seen them last year. They were tussling all over the place." Jaden joined in the laughter, starting to unhook his arm now that Jesse had fallen into step beside him. His arm fell to his side, but he made sure he was still close enough for his shoulder to touch Jesse's lest Ruby go tumbling down.

Jesse favoured him with a look of depthless gratitude.

" Ah never thanked you for what you did for me last year."

Jaden waved it off, careful not to jostle the crystal beast, who seemed to have fallen asleep. On Jaden's other side, Winged Kuriboh's weight hung warm and right, and he was pleasantly reminded of darting around the campus, looking for Ruby's partner.

" You thanked me."

" Not really. Not properly." Jesse insisted.

" All I did was look after Ruby for you." Jaden laughed nervously. " You don't need to get down on your knees and kiss my feet or anything."

" You did more than that." Jesse countered passionately. " You...You inspahred me. You made me believe in mahself again, just when Ah thought Ah was never gunna."

Jaden flushed under the intense stare.

" All I did was tell you that I understood your point of view."

" Jay." Jesse whispered, and he stopped walking. Reaching out with one hand, he grabbed Jaden's and squeezed. " Jay, you were the only person who said that. You were the only one who didn't come down on me lahke Ah was sum kinda failure." He squeezed the Slifer's hand again. " You'll never know how much that meant to me."

Jaden felt Jesse let go of his hand, but the sense of awe that had settled over him kept him from feeling strange that the boy in front of him was so touchy-feely.

" I didn't realize..." He tried, but the words got all twisted around in his throat and he had to stop, or else he knew they'd come out all wrong. He tried again, the feeling of being humbled making him stumble to find the right way to express himself. " I'm...glad...I was able to...to help you. No one...No one should ever make you feel like that. You're a great duelist and your reasons were your own. Never let anyone tell you otherwise."

Jesse gave him another shining smile.

" Thanks Jay."

A little conscious of the heavy atmosphere that had descended on them, Jaden made to take a shaky step back, but at the last minute, remembered Ruby asleep on their touching shoulders, and stopped the motion, causing him to sway a little on the spot. He gave a sheepish, embarrassed grin, but Jesse just kept looking at him with those grateful eyes, and Jaden felt a blush burn his cheeks.

" Geez, why is it we're always getting into these heavy talks?" He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. The sound of his sigh seemed to jolt Jesse, and he too coloured, looked down at his shoes as he scuffed the ground.

" Maybe we're just intense people." He offered.

Jaden shook his head.

" I'm usually way more laid back than this."

" Maybe Ah bring out the worst in ya." Jesse said, looking at Jaden through his turquoise bangs. Jaden shook his head quickly.

" No way! There's nothing wrong with being serious. In fact, sometimes I think I should be more serious." The images of Chazz and Alexis, decked out in white and blank-eyed, flashed through his mind. A warm hand on his shoulder distracted him.

" Ah'm really glad to see you again, Jaden." Jesse said, his eyes fond. Jaden returned the smile.

" You wanna go get some lunch? I'm starving."

" Sure thing."

Even as they started walking, the sound of propellers and engines cut through the comfortable silence that had settled around the two boys. Glancing up, Jaden saw a helicopter-like aircraft making a descent onto the helipad by the dock. He squinted at the insignia, a black snake coiling around a blue globe, but shook it off and kept walking, sure that Syrus would tell him about it later. He fell into a conversation about cards with Jesse, and was so involved in his description of the duel with Kagemaru at the end of the previous year, that he all but missed the tall, pale figure of Sartorius, grinning sharply and eyes alight, stalking past them towards the helipad.

And by the time he remembered it, Prince Ojin had already seen the Light.

* * *

Gah! Most days, I love writing this story! I love my characters, I love the way the plot is going, and I love portraying the bonds the cast has with each other. And then, moments like this pop up, and I have to force myself to keep all these interactions platonic. I am a HUGE Spiritshipper, and every time, every SINGLE TIME these two have a scene together, I'm fighting to keep from writing something out of a romance movie! I mean, God, I nearly wrote Jesse into giving Jaden a kiss on the cheek as thanks! I just canNOT write these two without the undertones, I am sorry. It just...it creeps up! So please, despite all the Spiritshipping vibes that come off of every scene Jaden and Jesse have together, forgive me and read into it what you like. You want it to be friendship? That's cool with me. You wanna be like me and drool over the prospect of the two of them together? Also cool. But I seriously can't write these two interacting without my Spiritshipping tendencies coming out. But I'll tell you right now:

This story isn't about love. At least not romantic love. A lot of stories (both fanfiction and otherwise) are about true love, finding it, it saving the day. I like those stories. I read them. But I don't think I could ever write a convincing one. You see, I'm not big on romantic love. This cynical view probably comes from never having a boyfriend and having low self-esteem as a result for more years than I actually realized, but that's not the point here. The thing is, I grew up not having very many reliable friends. Oh, I had people to play on the swing set with, and people to partner up with, but when things got tough, they got scarce. When I got to high school, I made a bunch of really wonderful friends, and managed to avoid any and all of the drama of high school. Those friends really helped me become more confident. In university, I've met a bunch of people I wouldn't mind seeing everyday for the rest of my life. People I trust completely, and with whom I've been able to really come into my own. I've never had a boyfriend, so what I really put stock in is friendship. I honestly believe that the love between friends can be just as powerful as the romantic love between two people.

So that's why this story isn't too focused on romantic relationships. I touch on them, because I know they happen, but at the center of this tale is the belief that friends can and will be just as helpful and rewarding as finding True Love. Year One was really big on this with Lia's character. You'll notice that, despite the fact that she has a crush on Bastian, all of Lia's growth stems from her meeting and becoming friends with people. This isn't about her finding a boy or a girl or whatever she happens to prefer that will make her happy. Lia needs to be able to like herself before she can ever hope to fall in love with someone. And to do that, she needs friends.

I'm not saying that romantic love isn't a beautiful thing, because I have friends who are very much in love with their 'one and only's, and they're so happy that it makes me smile. But I really and truly believe that a story about growth, and living shouldn't be solely about falling in love with 'Mr/Miss Right'. It should be about the journey and the people you meet along that journey. That's why romantic couples won't be such a big deal in this story. They're there, maybe in the background, or maybe by accident, or they might further the plot (in Lia's case, she's learned to make friends. Now, I need to introduce her to the idea that she can fall for someone who actually likes her back), but they really won't be the focal point.

Sorry about the rant, but I wanted to clear up that there's no need tp be offended if my Jaden/Jesse scenes have romantic overtones. Those are my personal preferences, but you don't have to worry about romantic entanglements between them, if that sort of thing squicks you out (if it does, all I ask is that you don't get too...enthusiastic in your dislike. I've been around when these sorts of debates arise, and I'll warn you now, having been friends with the homosexual community of my high school, I'll jump to their defense and I probably won't be nice for too long. So please, no ugly comments or flames, alright?).

So, I think that's it for now. Really, why WOULDN'T Jesse be there for the GX Tournament? He won't be dueling Jaden, but then, the Slacker Club sorta slips off the map as the Tournament progresses and they have to stop the Light, and since Jesse is an honourary member...

Well, I'll see oyu all next time!

MoS


	35. Failing Hope

Warning: This is going to be dark.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_.

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

" Um guys?" Lia said, prompting Jasmine, Mindy, and Jessica to look up from the pizza they'd ordered in. " I hate to be the one who points this out, because I know that I'll regret it, but...is that a pillar of fire?"

" Huh." Jasmine leaned away from the table on Lia's balcony. She squinted. " So it is."

" That's unusual." Mindy said breezily, digging into her pizza.

Lia twitched.

"Okay, clearly I'm the only one upset about this. What are we gonna do about it?"

" Do we have to do anything?" Mindy asked around a mouthful of cheese, bread, and tomato sauce. Luckily, the girls, especially Jasmine, who'd grown up with three brothers, were good and translating the noises that came out of a mouth too full of food into actual words.

" We probably should." Jessica answered for the younger girl.

" So what should we do?" Mindy asked, mouth still full. Jasmine whacked her on the shoulder.

" Chew, swallow, talk. In that order, Min."

Mindy complied, and repeated the question. Lia sighed, sinking into her seat.

"I dunno. Tell somebody? Set up some deck chairs and start selling tickets?" She blinked at the blank faces in front of her. " Ignore it and hope it goes away?"

" I like that plan." Jasmine leaned back in her seat, eating contently.

" I vote for Plan C." Jessica followed suit.

" Um, guys, it's getting bigger." Mindy pointed, and was ignored by the other two girls, Lia too busy massaging the bridge of her nose to notice.

" Not now, Mindy. We're ignoring it." Jasmine said.

" Why exactly are we doing that again?"

" Because." Jessica jumped in to explain. " If we acknowledge it, it means that we'll probably have to deal with, and that means getting up and leaving our pizza where it is."

" Ever heard of microwaves?" Lia said darkly, but Jessica shook her head.

" No, not worth it. Let Jaden and the boys deal with it."

" We always let 'Jaden and the boys deal with it'." Lia looked down at her hands, realized she was using air quotes and dropped her fingers glaring.

" If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Jessica said sagely. Lia scowled at her.

" You know, one of these day, we're gonna have to stop this passive-aggressive shit we keep pulling, and take some decisive action abou-did it just grow wings?"

" Huh." Jasmine said in the same tone she'd used when Lia had first pointed out the anomaly. " Would ya look at that."

" Cool." Jessica added, toasting it with her glass of Sprite. Mindy took another bite out of her pizza, and Lia twitched again.

" Seriously. There is a column of _fire_ outside, with _wings_ coming out of it, and we are just gonna sit here and eat pizza like nothing's happening."

" Plan C." Jasmine said. Li sank into her seat, shoulder slumped in defeat.

" Why did I come to this school?"

" The reputation is awesome." Jessica explained, after swallowing.

" You needed to get away from your house?" Jasmine offered, grinning knowingly at the younger girl.

"It's really pretty here." Mindy smiled sweetly. Lia's head didn't rise from her arms.

" If this keeps up, I'll be insane before graduation!" She moaned.

" What, you still think you're sane right now?" Jessica laughed, patting her sympathetically on the shoulder. Jasmine giggled at Lia's dismay, shaking her head, and reaching over to smooth some of the unruly curls from the top of her head. Mindy, who was across from Lia and didn't feel like leaning over the table, continued to smile sweetly at the younger girl.

Lia raised her head, just enough so that the other girls could see her face, and looked at them with such childish misery that it made her appear younger than she was, and Jasmine nearly cooed at how adorable she was.

Lia pouted.

" I hate this."

" Hate what?" Jessica asked with laughter in her eyes.

" Everything."

" That's a bit much, don't you think?" Jasmine shook her head.

" I want everything back to the way it was last year."

The mood sobered immediately.

Lia glared at nothing, her gaze drawn to the horizon, where the darkened sky (hadn't it just been sunny a few seconds ago? But then again, when you went to Duel Academy, you had to be ready for strange weather patterns. Even Bastian, who was from England, claimed the weather on the island gave him whiplash sometimes. Lia stopped that thought in its tracks, because thinking about Bastian still hurt her too much for her to do it without feeling masochistic.) met the turbulent ocean. Jessica and Jasmine shared a look, and even Mindy put her slice back down on her plate, suddenly not very hungry anymore. Lia's scowl darkened to match the sky.

" Why can't everything be okay again? Why can't it ever stay like that?" She asked fiercely. The girls had the sense to keep quiet. Or maybe it was just that they had no answer.

" No one else has to deal with this kind of shit!" She spat. " No one else has to do this! It's just us. It's always just us!"

Mindy looked down at her glass, feeling sick.

" We're the ones it falls to! No, that's not right. It's not even that easy! We're the ones who get left behind! We're the ones who have to sit around, and watch all this shit just fucking happen, while Jaden goes off and fixes everything! I am so fucking sick of just sitting around, twiddling my thumbs and hoping that tomorrow, everything will be okay again! I want to _do_ _something, _damnit, even if it's just marching up to Sartorius and punching him in the face. At least then, I'd be in trouble and getting yelled at for something other than waiting for things to get better!"

" What are you gonna do?" Mindy didn't look up from her glass, but her soft words made Lia freeze.

" I..." She whispered, but she couldn't finish the sentence.

" The truth is, there isn't anything we _can_ do." Mindy continued, tightening her grip on the glass until her knuckles bleed to white.

" Don't say that." Jasmine said warningly. Mindy shot her a hard look.

" It's the truth, isn't it?"

" You make us sound like we're helpless." Jessica said with narrowed eyes.

" We are."

" No, we're not."

" And how are we not helpless?" Mindy asked just as fiercely as Lia had several moments before. " What can we actually _do_? Our friends are possessed, our school is falling apart around us, and there's this great big evil looming on the horizon again, and there isn't a damn thing we can do about because...because..."

" Because why, Min?" Jessica snapped, and she looked mad. " Because we're girls?"

In the miserable silence, Mindy hung her head, and Lia's jaw hung open.

" Yes." The dark-haired Obelisk said softly. " Because we're girls."

" Bullshit."

Lia's voice was just barely over a growl, and her eyes had narrowed into slits as she glared at Mindy from across the table. Beside her, Jessica looked equally offended, her own eyes flashing.

" Being a girl's got nothing to do with this." Lia continued, addressing her friends as a whole, but staring at Mindy. " The Society didn't choose based on gender; the Shadow Riders came regardless of whether you were a girl or not. The Sacred Beats were going to kill everyone, boys and girls. Being a girl has got nothing to do with any of this."

" She's right." Jessica piped up. " Maybe we're helpless because we're weak, or maybe we're just not ready to face whatever it is that's out there, but it's not because we're girls."

" Then why are we always the ones left behind? Why are we always stuck here waiting while they save the world?" Mindy spoke like she'd resigned herself to the fact.

" Alexis didn't wait. Last year, she was right in the thick of it." Jasmine protested.

"Alexis got caught." That shut the redhead up.

" Not because she's girl." Jessica said. " Just because she wasn't strong enough."

" Yeah, it's not because she's a girl. Lexi doesn't just sit around and wait for things to happen."

" So then why do we? Why are we always left behind?"

" Min, that isn't fair. We aren't the best in the school, but we do our part."

" When have we ever done anything, Jazz? When have we ever contributed to saving the day? When have we ever done anything but sit on the sidelines and cheer the heroes on?"

Whatever Jasmine was going to say was interrupted by a scraping sound. Lia had pushed her chair back, and stood, heading for her door, though her back was to them, a sudden chill went through each of the girls. As one body, they stood up, varying looks of apprehension on their face. Lia remained oblivious and kept walking for the door, her shoulder squared and determination rolling off of her body in waves.

" What are you doing?" Jessica yelled after her, hurrying around the table to chase the younger Academic. Lia paused, her fingers just brushing the door handle.

Then she turned, and fixed Mindy, who'd been in the process of sweeping around the table and past Jasmine, with a look that froze her solid. In Lia's eyes was more than just determination. There was more than just an iron will. There was pure, gleaming steel, unyielding and strong. She looked at Mindy with a kind of reckless courage, as if daring the older girl to try and stop her. Without warning, it was as if there was something unbreakable about her, as if she'd suddenly, subtly shifted, and was infinitely stronger than she had been the moment before. The cute, angry girl vanished under the weight of the steel her eyes bore, and like a light going on in a darkened house, she was transformed into something more.

" I'm getting off the sidelines."

And then she was out the door, her footsteps echoing as she trotted down the hallway. The three other girls stood, stunned and motionless, until the sound had died down. Then they sprang into motion, hurtling themselves forward as they raced to catch up with their wayward friend.

It wasn't until she was bounding down the stairs, two at a time, that Mindy realized where she had recognized the look in Lia's eyes from.

It was the same one Jaden always got in his when he dueled.

* * *

That was probably why, while Jaden dueled the man holding the fake Winged Dragon of Ra, Lia marched up to Sartorius, shining eyed and furious, ready to unleash hell on him.

She'd marched into the Blue-now-White Dorm with little resistance. Most of the Duelists were out getting their 'one duel a day' out of the way, and there had only been two who'd tried to block her path. They'd tried to puff out their chests and force her to back down, because that was what boys were wont to do, she'd found; and they expected girls to fall under certain categories as well. But Lia had not been in the mood for such things. She might not have been a Duelist, and she might not have been able to meet them on their battlefield of choice, but she had her fists and she had her teeth and she had her hands. She'd kick and bite and claw her way through them to get to Sartorius, because she had something to say, and she'd be damned if a couple of punks too big for their boots got in her way.

Something of her thoughts must've shown on her face, because both boys had backed down and let her through, trying to sound threatening as they told she only had a few minutes, but meekly ducking their heads when she'd turned her vicious glare on them full force.

She'd passed through the gilded white door like a princess through the gates of her palace, and hadn't looked back.

Sartorius had been sitting at the piano, carefully playing a soothing, lilting melody that was at odds with the heavy atmosphere in the room. If she'd been in a more sound state of mind, Lia might've laughed at the irony. Instead, all there had been was the rattle of the iron she felt had replaced her blood.

Sartorius hadn't looked up when he'd addressed her.

" And to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

His fingers had skipped over the black and white keys, gentle notes of music following in their wake. Lia was stood stiffly by the entrance, not moving, but not surrendering by turning and walking out the door. The familiar feeling of terror had seeped into her being, making her heart shudder in her chest. The wrongness of the man, the warped feeling that hung around him like a cloud, had made her want to turn and run from the room.

But something, perhaps her stubborn pride, had rooted her to the ground, neither challenging him by stepping forward or retreating by stepping back.

He had slid his eyes to look at her, and at once, fear and fury had choked back her voice.

" Miss Shanner?"

' Snake.' She could remember thinking. ' Liar. Cheat. Monster. _Misfit_.'

The last word had made bile rise in her throat as he'd looked sharply at her, as thought he could hear her every thought.

' Misfit.' She'd thought cruelly. ' Outcast. _Freak_.'

His hands had never stopped moving, the tone of the music shifting subtly to a darker note.

" Miss Shanner, is there any reason you came to call, besides to stand in the doorway and scowl?" She'd moved forward at that, because he'd been goading her and damnit all to hell, it'd worked.

" Do you wish to speak with me?"

She'd kept walking, her mouth shut tight.

" My dear girl, how can I possibly be of service if you won't tell me what you want?"

She'd been only steps away. Something was singing in her blood, alive and vicious and ready to go for the throat.

" Please, there's no need to be so hostile. I am merely – "

Five steps. The music had gotten darker, swirling around.

"-a man trying to spread a little light into this dark world. You can – "

Three steps. The music had thundered in her ears until she hadn't been able to tell it apart from her heart.

" –appreciate that, can't you? This world is so filthy, so full of rotten, ugly things –"

She'd been right in front of him, the music so loud she'd been sure she was going deaf from it. The thing in her blood cried out in time to the crescendo of the song, and Lia had not been able to place the feeling that had swept over her.

" – that death must come as a blessing to most." He'd looked at her then, like he knew her every secret, like he could look inside of her just as easily as Aster could, and he would not be as gentle as the boy. In that instant, she'd known that somehow, he _knew_. " Wouldn't you agree?"

_Smack_ went her hand as it connected with his cheek.

_Rustle_ went the sheets of music as they were thrown off the piano.

_Crash_ went his fingers as they were sent slamming down onto the keys, sending discordant notes ripping through the still air, dying in echoes that sounded too much like pleas.

" You can't win." She hissed, vindictive triumph whistling through her with the force of a hurricane. Triumph at what, and vindictive for whatever reason, she could not name, but it was in her body and in her blood and making her mouth move senselessly, words like knives spitting out passed her lips like bullets.

" You will never be able to win. You can twist this game to match your desires, you can toy with their heads until they believe that you are their God. It won't work. You won't win. Something, somewhere, will stop you." She smirked, and it was wicked. " And you know that."

Sartorius did not look at her. He was kneeling where he'd fallen, the back of one hand pressed to his cheek, his face in shadow.

" You know you can't win. You know it!" Her delight was almost palpable. " You know you'll fail. You know that, somewhere down the line, something will change and you won't win. Someone will resist you. Someone will fight back when you try to break them. Someone, some small, insignificant, weak-minded little human will finally push back and you won't know what to do."

Sartorius was silent. Her unholy grin grew.

" It's already happening, isn't it? Someone's pushing back, and you're lost. You're actually lost. You have no idea what to do, and it's killing you, slowly and painfully. Because you're going to lose. Millennia of planning, and you're about to be foiled because one stupid little mortal has the gall to stand up and say, 'No.'. Is that it, _Master_-"

Sartorius suddenly surged to his feet, swinging his arm out at her. The blow caught her on the side of her face and she stumbled back, tripping over her own two feet. Sartorius followed her, crowding her back until she hit the pillar on the other side of the platform. Still dazed from his earlier blow, she didn't see his hand come up until it had closed around her throat.

" Hold your tongue or I'll cut it out!" He snarled, an edge in his voice that didn't sound right. It took his words and made them into an inhuman growl, a deep, low grating noise making the sounds all distorted. She grinned lazily at him, and his hand tightened.

" You're nothing here! Just another disposable pawn in this game! I can make them all hate you! I can make them spit on you and throw dirt at you and beat you until you bleed! Do you want that, bitch?"

She spat in his face, red sliding down his cheek.

" I'm already bleeding." She taunted. He slammed her head back against the pillar, and a pained laugh escaped her. " Is that the best you've got?"

His other hand came up onto her throat and started to squeeze. She let out a tiny, choked little sound, like a mouse as it was caught in a trap, but other than that, held herself silent.

" You don't want to anger me." He said, and the silk had come back into his voice. " You don't want me angry. I know you don't. You know what I can do. How I can make them act. How I can destroy you without so much as lifting a finger."

She forced her body away from the pillar, leaning forward until she could leer into that pale face. Her head screamed in protest, spots dancing in front of her eye, but she grinned toothily, pain coursing up and down her body.

" Be my guest." She purred, looking past the purple irises and into what dwelled inside. " Try."

His thumb pressed under her jaw with punishing strength, forcing her face upwards until she was staring into the florescent lighting. It made her eyes sting, and she blinked rapidly as they dried out, but the lights looked wrong. They were too bright, and seemed to swallow up the whole ceiling...

Her skin prickled with recognition, and somewhere, under her shirt, the stone started to burn and the mark to tingle.

" I can do more than try." The threat was back in his voice. " I can do it. I could snap your pretty little neck right here if I wanted to." The fingers pushed back as her pulse hammered against them. Black invaded the edges of her vision.

" You know I won't though, don't you? You know that I have something much worse planned for you." The light was searing through her eyes, trying to dig its way into her thoughts. She grinned at it, a little bubble of red slipping past her lips, and locked her mind.

" Who would you like to snap your neck? Whose fingers do you want to feel around you as you die? I'll give you that much. I'll let you name your murderer, isn't that generous of me? Do you want the pretty blonde girl? Have her squeeze the life out of you, calling you ugly names and denouncing you as you die? How about that dark-haired boy with that lovely smile? He'll give you such a lovely send off, whisper such reassuring things in your ear as you fade. He might even stroke your hair and wipe away your tears. He's fond of you, you know. Almost like a brother. Or maybe, you'd prefer something bit more...intimate."

She could feel his smile, even as he held her face to the light. His grip didn't lessen, even as his breath fanned over her ear.

" That foreign boy. The gentleman. Maybe you want him to do it. Watch him over you, hands on your throat. You might even be able to pretend it's a lover's caress. Wouldn't that be a wonderful way to die?"

There was a beat of silence, and then she was laughing, the air slipping past his hands in painful gusts, shaking her body and making her stomach heave. She threw her head back even more, away from his thumb, and laughed until the tears came, running down her face and splashing against his hands, like little spots of clear blood on his skin.

She was still laughing when he threw her from him, and she went crashing to the ground, taking the brunt of the fall with her shoulder and rolling onto her side, gasping in between her crazed bouts of laughter. Her eyes fell shut and her body arched off the carpet as she shook with mirth, her arms supporting most of her weight. A dark stain was spreading on her green top, sticky and red, and there was a pain emanating from somewhere around her collar, but the laughter just kept ripping out of her, her throat aching and her lungs starved. Sartorius watched her, his lips twisted in a scowl, his pale face dark with wrath.

She finally stopped, her bangs fanned out over her sweaty, shining face. She looked at him, lips wide over a set of gleaming teeth, dark marks starting to appear on her neck.

" Make them hate me, I don't care. There's only one person's love that matters to me," Her lids hung heavy over her eyes, which, in the artificial light, seemed flecked with gold.

" And he is beyond you."

Sartorius stormed forward, every inch of his being radiating rage, and brought his foot up over her still heaving chest.

She grinned bloodily up at him.

" Gonna kill me, old friend?"

He froze. Over her, the boot trembled, suspended in mid air, as though he would love nothing more than to bring it down on her and crush her ribs into odd shapes, pushing down harder and harder until they pierce her lungs and punctured her heart, and then he'd sit there and watch as the blood bubbled out of her as it tried to find places to go. She smirked at the thought, and shifted her attention to the light above him, too bright and too hot to be a light bulb. She gave it a red smile too. It seemed to shift, curling over itself, until one lazy tendril touched Sartorius' shoulder and pulled back. The foot retreated from over her, and the sound of retreating footsteps found her ears.

" Knew it." She whispered to the dead air. The light seemed to hover over her for a moment, before it rushed forward, and everything went dark.

* * *

When Lia came to, Aster was staring down at her in horror.

" Wha-?" She tried, but her throat protested sharply. With a wince she reached down, and nearly cried out as her fingers brushed over swollen, angry skin. She looked at Aster helplessly.

" You just..." He gulped, looking down at her. For the first time, Lia realized that he was hold her, one arm behind her back and one under her knees, cradling her to him like she was going to break.

" Chazz just...came out of the White Dorm, holding you. He gave you to me, told me to look after you. Lia," he whispered, and his eyes looked down at her neck, " what happened to you?"

And she started shaking as she tried to call up the memory, and her mind supplied her with a blank, empty whiteness.

"I...don't know." She murmured, a sense of dread filling her. She leaned into Aster, pressing her face against his chest and listening to the sound of his heartbeat, trying to let it ground her. " I don't know."

* * *

...

WOW.

I...I have NO idea where that came from...Holy shit, I did NOT mean to churn out something like this! Good God.

On another note, I actually have a really good excuse for the no update. We had to take one of my friends to the emergency room Friday night, and I ended up staying over, and then Saturday I had to catch up on my homework. (My friend is doing better- they got her a perscription to fill out, and she finally managed to get some sleep when we got back to her dorm room).

Other than that...um, is it bad that I'M disturbed by what I wrote?

Sorry for going so dark with this. But uh,...it DOES have a purpose. ...That comes up in Year Three, but a purpose nonetheless. ...I think. ...I'm scared of the Light now.

MoS


	36. Dancing Puppets

Warnings: Less dark than last week, but that isn't saying much.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_.

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

" Neos, take out his dragon!" Jaden cheered as he watched the last of Orlando's life points drop. Behind him, he heard Syrus and Hassleberry start cheering as well, Jesse's laughter at their antics audible over the sounds of the explosions as they shook the field. He smiled to himself, the tension of the duel with the fake Ra card (which hadn't been eased by even Chumley's timely appearance, or the incredible gift of a specially designed card) and of the disturbing fact that Sartorius had access to a satellite whose purpose had yet to be revealed seeping out of him. There was nothing like a duel to help him get over his problems.

After Orlando had left (and showing them his patented 'victory dance', for which they had cheered, smiled, and fallen into bouts of laughter over), the four boys sat on the grassy knoll for a little while, staring up as the sky was streaked orange and purple by the sunset.

" Ain't that a sahght?" Jesse sighed , lying back on the grass with the other boys. Syrus agreed breathlessly, cradling his blue head in his arms.

" It's nice." Jaden agreed, breathing in the air. The ocean gurgled somewhere off in the distance, and there was the sound of seagulls cawing overhead, and Jaden a perfect sense of calm overtake him, as if nothing could go wrong ever again.

Of course, something had to come along and shatter it, because that was the way of the world.

" Jaden!"

The Slifer looked up, startled by the cry.

Aster was running towards them, his hair whipped back by the wind. Although Jaden couldn't see him very well as he was in constant motion, the desperation behind the cry set his nerves tingling. Fear choked up his voice and a cold sweat started to form on his brow.

" I've been looking everywhere for you!" The younger boy snapped when he finally reached them. Jaden noticed he was pale and haggard looking, and it did nothing to set him at ease.

" Why?" He asked slowly, praying that he didn't sound too anxious. Beside him, Syrus walked up, looking suspicious, and Jaden felt Hassleberry move to stand behind him, glaring at the pro-star. Jesse walked up casually, and though his face was neutral, Jaden saw fire spark in his green eyes. Winged Kuriboh settled on his shoulders, bristling and letting out noises that sounded like they could be curse words. Jaden was glad to see his spirit lively again, given that the furball had been acting strangely the day before.

Aster refused to meet his eyes.

" It's...Lia."

That had all their attention.

The air around the five boys dropped dramatically. The cold lump of fear that had been twisting around in Jaden's gut exploded outwards, sending ice water shooting through his veins. He opened his mouth, ready to demand that Aster explain further, but the fear closed a frigid hand around his neck and he couldn't make the words come out. Something in the way Aster had said her name, something in the way he stood, something that gleamed in his eyes (oh god, was that the same fear Jaden felt?), made the Slifer terrified.

" What is it? What's wrong?"

Syrus push forward, commanding looking on his face. Jaden felt a rush of relieved affection for the smaller boy. He'd forgotten, for a second, that he wasn't the only boy who cared about Lia. Hassleberry made no secret of the fact that he was fond of her, and Jaden knew that Syrus and her shared a special bond; they could usually be found sitting quietly together whenever Lia joined the boys for a night in.

" I..." Aster whispered, his voice weak. " She's...hurt."

_Hurt_.

The word cut through him like a blade. Instinctively, beyond all reason, he knew this was more than Lia crying over Alexis slapping her or fuming about Bastian leaving. With a terrible sense of knowing, he understood that whatever had happened was worse than it had ever been. He knew that even if Lia didn't have blood splattered across her clothes, she was broken and bleeding on the inside.

And in the same breath, Jaden knew that there was going to be Hell to pay.

They found Lia just a little farther down the slope of the path. She was leaning against a tree, half hidden by the trunk, her hair (loose and tumbling like a cascade of auburn curls in the dying sunlight) flying out around her face like a shroud and hiding her features. There was an aura of fear around her, and Jaden's breath caught the second he saw her hunched shoulders and timid body language. Before he could even reach out to her, Aster was hurrying forward, his hands finding her shoulders.

" I told you to wait. I said I'd be quick."

Her voice came out as a raspy whisper, and the ice water in Jaden's veins started to pump faster, spreading down his body like frostbite.

" I didn't like being alone."

Aster's shoulders slumped, and his hands started moving up and down in soothing motions of their own accord, because his eyes had dropped, like he couldn't bear to look at the girl in front of him

" Sorry." He sounded defeated. Lia took a step forward, one hand reaching up to touch one of the ones on her shoulders. Aster flinched as she did so, a brief look of pain passing over his features.

Jaden strode forward, his morbid curiosity getting the best of him.

" Lia?" He murmured, reaching up to brush the hair out of her face. " Koneko-chan?"

Lia turned to him, and the ice water froze into solid ice in his body.

Her eyes were wide, glistening with tears that she was trying to hold back for some reason. She was paler than she normally was, and the freckles stood out like damning black spots against the paper-shade her face had taken on. The shirt she wore was rumbled and covered in wrinkles, and at the top of the green tank top, there was a brown stain of dried blood that reached up into the black shirt under it. She was shaking, and even as she gave Jaden a pleading look, the fingers around Aster's hand tightened until the knuckles went white.

But Jaden wasn't looking at her face, or her clothes, or even her shaking body. Behind him, he heard Syrus' breath catch.

Jaden stared at her neck in fascinated horror.

It was covered in bruises. They stretched from one side to the other, like a hideous collar. They were thick, heavy things, blue-black and ringed with purple, so dark that they appeared seared into her skin, like a brand. The skin was swollen, although not as much as Jaden thought it should've been, and looked as though it would be painful to even breathe. A pulse hammered underneath the damage, fluttering and trembling like a little bird. The bruises followed the line of her jaw, and Jaden wanted to reach out and touch just one, if only to prove to himself that they were really, and not part of some horrible nightmare.

" Mother of God." Syrus whispered, and Jaden could almost see the hand he was bringing up to his mouth.

" Jesus H. Chrahst!" Hassleberry shouted as he caught sight of them. The temperature around them dropped, and Jaden chanced a look at Jesse. The boy from North Academy was speechless with rage, his hands clenched to fists at his side, and his lips pressed into a grim line so tightly they were white. Ruby appeared on his shoulder, hissing and spitting, no longer a sweet, little spirit, but a hellcat, a bakeneko, monstrous and powerful and on the verge of becoming a nekomata. Jaden could almost see the fireball starting to form in her mouth, and there was certainly fire reflected in those blood-red eyes.

Wordless rage seemed to overtake him as he watched Ruby. Something had done this to Lia. Some monster had put its hands around her neck and squeezed and squeezed until she'd been bruised and broken and breathless. Someone had tried to strangle his friend and the same, protective anger that had spurned him to demand Syrus back from the Sacred Beasts, gambling on little more than his own courage and stubborn will, rose in the back of his mind and sent all other emotions and thoughts crashing to the ground.

" What. Happened." Jaden growled, when he could finally speak again. Aster gave him a searching look, but Lia ducked her head, and shook it, shoulders shaking even more.

" Lia..." Syrus whispered, looking confused.

" She doesn't know." Aster answered for her, and drew the girl close. If Jaden hadn't been so angry, he would've noticed the way Lia leaned into Aster's body immediately, nearly burying her head in his shoulder.

" What d'ya mean, 'she doesn't know'?" Hassleberry's eyes shifted, and they were jungle green with slitted pupils. He advanced on Aster, the muscles of his arms bulging and ready to fight. Aster met his gaze squarely, one arm wrapping tightly around Lia as if to protect her from the younger Ra boy's anger.

" Exactly what it sounds like!" He snapped back, eyes sparking. " She doesn't know! She can't remember anything!"

" And you just 'happened' ta fahnd her?" Hassleberry's voice was a deadly snarl. " How convenient."

Aster blanched, a look of shock on his face.

" You think I...that I would..."

Syrus looked between them, growing increasingly agitated. Jaden clenched his fists until his fingernails bit into his skin and drops of red slid in between his fingers. The red haze was starting to clear a little, but he was still too high-strung, too emotional, to try and sort out the situation. All he knew was that he wanted to find the person who'd done it to Lia, and, forgoing the usual methods, beat them into a pulp, and leave them to bleed out on the ground in the middle of the forest somewhere. He was so caught up in the violent images playing in front of his eyes that he failed to notice Jesse moving until the other boy put a hand on his shoulder.

Jaden jolted, and looked at Jesse in confusion. The other boy tossed his head in the direction of the other boys, where Hassleberry was glaring at Aster with enough force to set him alight, Aster was fidgeting, trying to push Lia behind him, and Syrus looked ready to jump in between the two and start a fight with both of them.

" Ya better do somethin', Jay. It's about t'get ugly."

Jaden nodded, patting the hand on his shoulder twice before shrugging it off and marching forward, catching the end of Hassleberry's rant.

" – supposed ta believe that ya just 'found' her, all beat up and bruised, and ya had nuthin' ta do wit' it? Is that it?"

" I'm telling you, I didn't do anything to her!" Aster shouted back, shoving Lia behind him, where she backed off from the fight, watching it with wide eyes. Syrus seemed to forget about stopping the other boys and hurried to her side, pulling the girl to her knees so he could talk to her better.

" I don't believe it fer a second!" Hassleberry declared, and yanked his arm back. Jaden darted forward and grabbed it. " What the hell, Sarge!"

" Hassleberry, calm down" He commanded, but the boy struggled.

" But he did it Sarge, I know he did! He's nuthin' but a low-down, dirty coward! He prob'ly gets off hitting a girl-"

" Tyranno!" Jaden snapped and Hassleberry's mouth shut with a 'clack'. His shoulders drooped in defeat and when Jaden let go of the hand, it fell to his side. Jaden sighed audibly.

" I don't know what happened, but this isn't the way to solve it. More violence isn't going to help Lia at all." He directed the words to the little part of his brain that was still screaming for blood retribution.

" But, Sarge..." The soldier protested, but Jaden cut him off, turning swiftly on his heel to face Aster. The boy held his gaze for a moment or two, and then either found it too intense, or found the look on Jaden's face too terrible, and dropped his eyes. There was a look of shame on his face that didn't sit well with Jaden.

" Tell me you didn't do it." The Slifer hissed, his voice deeper and darker than it had ever been. Aster's shot up, eyes wide, and he looked like nothing more than an innocent child. But then, so did Syrus, most of the time. And he'd broken a man's nose for calling him weak.

" You can't possibly think..." Aster tried to say, but cut himself off with a noise of fury. His eyes started to spark again, and Jaden, for some reason, felt buffered by it.

" I would _never_ hurt her!" Aster shouted, flushed with anger. " Or anyone for that matter!"

" Says the gah who blahnded mah best friend!" Hassleberry jumped in, but Jaden held up a hand, silencing him. Behind Aster, Jesse had joined Syrus and was very carefully tilting Lia head up, to see the bruises in whatever sparse light was left over from the sunset. Lia was frowning at him, trying to place where she'd seen him before. As Jesse squinted at her neck, Jaden felt his heart leapt into his throat as he caught sight of a smaller bruise right on her jaw line, looking only a little bigger than his thumb.

" That wasn't my fault!" Aster protested. " That was Sartorius I swear, I had _nothing _to do with that! I swear it!"

" Then swear that you didn't hurt her." Jaden said coldly, and both younger boys looked at him. Behind them, Lia's eyes had lit up with recognition, and she pointed at Jesse, saying something that he nodded in response to.

" What?" Aster whispered. Jaden held his gaze, steel in his own.

" Swear to me that you didn't hurt her. Swear that you didn't put those bruises on her. Swear it."

" You're just gonna take his word for it, Sarge?" Hassleberry exploded. Jaden didn't look away from Aster.

" Give me an oath I know I can trust." Aster blinked. " Swear it, Aster!"

" I swear!" He snarled suddenly. Behind him, Lia said something that made Jesse blush, and his face matched Aster's, though what had the younger boy so red in the face, Jaden could only guess at. He supposed it was anger, but there was some kind of tenderness in his eyes that said differently. " I swear that I didn't hurt her! I would never hurt her, not ever! She's my friend too and I'm sorry I wasn't there to save her, but I would never, ever _ever_ hurt her."

" Give me an oath." Jaden commanded, and, for a second, Aster floundered. He opened and closed his mouth, trying to find some answer to give the older boy. He looked helplessly around him, and then his gaze landed on Lia, who was eyeing Jesse suspiciously. And the confusion on his face cleared.

" I swear on my father's grave." He whispered, not taking his eyes off the girl. The tenderness swelled and spilled over his eyes and into his face, transforming it into something soft , a look of something akin to adoration creeping onto his features and emanating from every pore, his lips upturned in a soft smile and his eyes light with a warm fire from within. For a second, Jaden thought he recognized the look, having seen it somewhere before. Then he mentally shook his head to clear it, because he had more important things to be thinking about.

Aster turned away from Lia, and the look melted into one of haughty apprehension.

" Does that satisfy you?"

Jaden nodded.

" That'll do."

Before Hassleberry could start up again, Jesse got to his feet and walked over, hands in his pockets, affecting to look calm and collected. Ruby stayed by Lia, cuddled up against her, although Jaden knew the girl wouldn't be able to see the spirit. Jesse stopped when he was standing next to Jaden, and smiled encouragingly at Aster.

" She says you gave her an ahce pack fo' the swellin'."

Aster nodded.

" Yeah, she..." He hesitated, looking torn. " She said she didn't want to go to the infirmary, and she was so scared, I didn't want to force her. I took her back to her room, and got her some ice and made her swallow some pain meds."

" Did she sleep?" Jaden asked. Aster shrugged.

" On and off throughout the night. Sometimes, it'd seem like she was awake, but she wouldn't respond when I talked to her, so I think she was asleep."

" She says she still doesn't want t' go to the infirmary, but Ah don't think she'll protest as much if all o' us insist." Jesse sighed. " She says she doesn't want t'go 'cuz they'll ask questions, and she doesn't have th' answers."

Jaden noticed that his accent had gotten thicker, and wondered if it worked the same way Lia's did.

" Jaden." Aster said firmly. " You go talk to her. She'll listen to you."

And normally, Jaden would've protested his influence over anyone. He hated being able to say he had power over anyone's decisions. It made him feel too much like a puppet master, too much like the monster that was currently taking up residence in Sartorius' head, and from there spreading out to accumulate most of the student body in its grasp. But for once, Jaden didn't argue, and merely nodded, walking forward to convince Lia that Miss Fontaine would look after her so much better than any of the boys could.

* * *

Two hours later saw Lia looking wide-eyed around the hospital, a little drugged up on pain killers, her neck rubbed with salve and bandaged, mainly to hide the bruises she knew were going to get questions. Miss Fontaine had taken one look at the girl as Jaden had escorted her in, gasped in horror, and set to work examining, muttering darkly under her breath and actually cursing out loud when the severity of the marks was made apparent as Lia's head was tilted back.

Aster had stood a little off to the side, looking a bit lost and confused. It was understandable, seeing as how he had tried to separate from the group once they'd reached the school, assuming that he was unwanted company during such a crisis, and was ready to let her friends take care of Lia. The other's had tried to protest, but it was only when Lia's hand had curled around his wrist and tugged him towards the school with her, her voice rasping out, " Don't be stupid." that Aster had agreed to come up to the infirmary with them. As Syrus had pointed out, at least Lia was insulting people again, which meant she couldn't be _too_ traumatized.

They'd sent Hassleberry off to find Jasmine and the girls when Lia had muttered something about worrying them by not calling back. The army brat had still been furious, shooting glares at Aster, but refraining from speaking. Jaden thought that it was more than likely that Hassleberry was more upset about Lia being hurt than anything. He knew that Hassleberry had four sisters, whom he loved quite a bit, and saw more than a little of their pride and spunk in Lia. He'd latched onto her and Alexis like a gentleman, but never treated them like they were too fragile or weak to take care of themselves. Hassleberry had mastered the art of acting like a gentleman without being a chauvinist, and that, Jaden knew, was the same place most of his anger was coming from.

Unfortunately, none of them had really thought about what Hassleberry would be likely to say to explain the situation to the girls, and that was why when Jasmine Makita burst into the room looking ready to murder someone, most of the boys fell out of their waiting chairs.

" Where is he?" She roared. " Where the fuck is he?"

" Who?" Aster dared to ask, and flinched as her eye fell on him.

" _You_!" She snarled and lunged, only to be held back as Mindy and Miriam darted in behind her and grabbed her around the waist.

" Let me go!" She screamed. " Let me go so I can beat his ass!"

" Jazz, like, take it easy!" Miriam squeaked.

" It probably wasn't him!" Mindy pulled harder. " He's not that bad of a guy!"

" Like fuck he isn't!" Jasmine kicked at her captors.

" He didn't do it!"

" Oh yeah, and he just 'found' her lying around, all beat up? You fucking believe that, Min?"

" I believe," Mindy huffed, " that you are irrational, and jumping to conclusions."

" Fuck, let me go! I wanna hurt him!"

" Jasmine, calm the hell down!"

" Fuck you Miriam!"

" I didn't do it."

Aster's voice was perfectly calm, and that was what made the girls look up. They were met with a stony look and clenched fists, and eyes so bright it made Miriam look away. Aster took a step forward.

"I didn't hurt her. I would never hurt her. I don't care how many times you people make me say it. I would never do that sort of thing to anyone, let alone her."

" Jazz, he's telling the truth, look at him." Mindy pleaded. Jasmine stared at Aster for a moment later, then sulkily began to push the arms holding her back off.

" Yeah, yeah, let go." She fixed the pro-star with a glare. " You'd better hope you're telling the truth, 'cause if you aren't, and you so much as _touched _even one hair on her head, I'll rip your throat out with my bare hands, you got that?"

Jaden watched Aster glare at Jasmine's threat, and shot one last look at the bed where Lia lay, watching the fight with a dopey expression on her face. Syrus had pulled up a chair and was rolling his eyes at the antics of the others in the room, talking to her in a soft voice. Lia leaned towards the sound of it, and reached up to start stroking Syrus' hair. Syrus caught her hand and placed it down on the mattress, shaking his head and smiling at her. Jaden gave them both a fond smile and walked out the door, determination filling his mind.

It didn't take him long to find Chazz. Night might've been settling in, but the GX tournament was still going, and Chazz was fighting a duel just outside the school with an unnamed pro-star. Jaden was sure Aster could've indentified him, if he'd been there. As it was, Jaden leaned back against one of the stones along the walkway leading up to the school, and waited for Chazz to notice him.

That didn't take long either.

" Oh, hello Jaden." Chazz gave him a polite smile. " What can I do for you?"

Jaden saw no point in beating around the bush.

" Aster says you're the one who gave Lia over to him yesterday."

Chazz blinked, then tilted his head to the side, apparently thinking. Presently, a look of recognition went over his face, and he nodded.

" Oh yes, I did. Poor thing looked very distraught. Was she alright?"

" She's in the infirmary." Jaden snapped through gritted teeth. Chazz tried to put on a look of sympathy, but it didn't reach his burning eyes, and the whole effect was ruined.

" Well, better she's in there and healing, I suppose."

" Did you do it to her?"

Chazz looked at him, and, for a split second, something dark danced through his eyes, a wicked look that dared Jaden to accuse him again.

" What do you mean?"

Jaden more than dared.

" Did you put those bruises on her?" His hackles rose as his voice dropped dangerously, and something hot flooded into the space behind his eyes. " Did you make those marks on her throat? Did you try to strangle her?"

Chazz paused for a moment, then let out a tinkling laugh that made Jaden's blood boil.

" No, of course not. I found her like that in our dorm."

" Then who did it?" Jaden's jaw was clenched so tight it was hard to form the words.

Chazz shrugged, but under his look of puzzlement, the dark thing shifted again, goading Jaden, trying to make the Slifer challenge Chazz to a duel.

" Well, I can't be certain, but I thought I heard her and Master Sartorius having a disagreement through the door."

The wicked thing smirked in triumph, and Jaden let its tactics get to him, just for a second.

The second was enough.

Before he'd realized what he was doing, Jaden had pushed off the stone, his face in shadow and the something hot behind his eyes sliding down the rest of his body, much like the ice had hours before. But this time, Jaden felt hot, rage and fury and a bit of nausea at the look on Chazz's face all swirling together into a storm inside of him, and his body was moving without his say so, striding forward with a purpose in his eyes. Chazz kept on looking politely at him, but behind his genial smile, the Light of Destruction smirked tauntingly.

Jaden could almost feel It's surprise when his fist connected with Chazz's face.

* * *

I feel the need to fully expression my feelings surrounding that last line:

FUCK _YEAH_!

In your face, Light o' Destruction! In your _fucking_ face!

...

Sorry, I just REALLY like that scene. And it gets even...more so next week.

So, this chapter. ...I'm rather fond of it, because it shows that even though the group has been kinda torn apart by the Society of Psychos, it's not totally destroyed. They'll still rally around and protect their own. And it didn't occur to me until a lot later that this might come off as sexist (especially with Mindy's comments last week), but I really didn't write it with that in mind. I mean, c'mon, Lia's never really been dependent on a 'man' to save. She's never been the damsel in distress. Here? Yeah, I'm writing her as distressed but hell, wouldn't you be? I mean, god, she's got a long gap in her memory, and during that gap, she somehow went and got herself nearly strangled to death. It's a rather distressing situation. So no, I never meant to write Lia as ' a girl needing a guy to save her'. This entire chapter? It's about a person needing their friends to save them. And I'm well aware that you guys probably won't jump to this conclusion. I just wanted to justify myself in case someone comes along and tries to call me on it.

I also like this because it shows what I've been leading up to since Lia first saw Sartorius: She's vulnerable, and it's around Aster. She's clung to him before, and always pushe dhim away the second she regained her senses. Even after the Domino City Rain Scene, she's still kept him at a bit of a distance, being friendly, but not letting herself be as vulnerable as she can be around, say, Jaden. In this chapter, that barrier got swept away. Lia actually reaches for Aster. She's never done that before. She's never fully acknowledged, to either of them, that she needs and wants his presence in her time of need. Aster's finally become one of her closest friends. He's someone she can trust, completely. And more than that, he's someone who will _understand._ Lia's got some serious emotional baggage, and try as she might, she can't really make anyone in the group understand. Lexi got her brother back; Jaden's parents are both still alive, if a tad neglectful; Syrus isn't an only child. Her immediate group can't really connect to her story: She lost her father. And then he died before she had the chance to make peace with that. But Aster? Aster's pretty much in the same boat. His dad is gone, and, as you'll soon see, his mom won't be winning the Parent of the Year award anytime soon.

That's the third thing I really like about this chapter: Aster. It's not his point of view. You don't know what's going through his head, and neither do the characters. But they are starting to get a pretty good picture. Hassleberry is blinded by anger, because he really wants someone to blame, but the others, Jaden specifically, _know_ that Aster would never do something like this. Not to anyone. And certainly not to Lia. Why? He clearly cares about her. Is he in love with her? No, not yet. I still think he's a little too young to be in love in love. But he's very close to it. Aster was forced to grow up pretty fast; faster even than Lia, who had extended family to dote on her and coddle her. Aster's already gotten two degrees. (That's either out of the Japanese version, or the manga, I forget. I've decided that one is in Dueling, and the other is either Psychology, Forensics, or English Literature. What do you guys think?) Aster's, in some respects, more grown up than Lia (and in other ways, he's got the maturity of a selfish toddler. Huzzah for dimensions!). The point is, I think he's old enough to really, truly, fall in love with Lia. As in, possibly forever kind of love (is this stretching reality? A bit yes. But this is a made-up story based on an anime about card games saving the world. I think, dear readers, that you can handle a little stretching), but not without a little more interaction and character development. So, no. Aster's not in love with Lia. But he IS dangerously close, and Jaden can see it, and that's why he'll leave Lia in Aster's care. I said once that this story is more about friendship than romance. And that's still true. After all, Lia and Aster are pretty good friends by this point. And I promise, romantic feelings, both his and hers, won't seriously come up until Year Three. And just in case any of you were hoping for the easy-breezy hook-up, allow me to dash your dreams upon the rocks: They'll have to move mountains before I let them be together.

The last thing that I really, really, really liked is obvious. Allow me to reiterate:

FUCK _YEAH_!

No, there will NOT be a duel with Chazz. Jaden is pissed, and, to quote TVTropes, It Is Personal. In this version of the story, the Light has crossed a line that never even got DRAWN in the anime. Forget brainwashing or wiping out all of humanity; the Light physically _hurt_ one of Jaden's friends, put _bruises_ on them, and he's not gonna take that lying down. A duel would take too long, and would be too impersonal. Jaden will duel anyone. For this kind of action, the reaction has to be equally as brutal and personal. The Light fucked with one of Jaden's friends, so Jaden's gonna fuck with it. If you came to see the card game between Society!Chazz and Jaden, then I'm sorry, and suggest you look up the episode. Because in my world? We're having ourselves a good old fashion fist-fight!

Join me next week for the thrilling conclusion!

MoS


	37. Dueling Rivals

Warning: It got dark again. And then good. And dark. And sometimes I wonder about what is going through my head as I write these chapters.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_.

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

Jesse Anderson was pretty sure he wanted to transfer to Duel Academy.

It wasn't a spur of the moment decision, of course; he'd been thinking about it for months, ever since his first trip there with the rest of North Academy for the School Duel, which Crowler had disbanded when he'd become Chancellor, without citing a reason. No, Jesse had been thinking about transferring ever since he'd first met Jaden Yuki.

Jesse was many things (kind, outgoing, helpful, a good student and a good son, once upon a time), but most of all he was a boy, and a boy who loved adventure at that. Jesse was irresistibly drawn to tales of knights and dragons and castles as a child, much in the same way Aster Phoenix had been drawn to Greek myths. But where Aster read to better understand the heroes at the end of the tale, Jesse had always read his stories for the journey. It was the adventure, the trials and tribulations and dangers that lurked around every corner that had suckered Jesse in. He'd lived his whole life, hoping something amazing would happen to him. He waited with breathless anticipation for something to change in his monotone life and make it exciting.

The change had come, and he wished, with all his heart and soul, that it hadn't.

But time had made the wounds more bearable (not healed them, not completely, not yet. Jesse wasn't sure he ever wanted them healed; wasn't sure he ever wanted to be able to think of their faces without that stabbing pain that came with the sweet rush of affection), and Jesse had learned that, no matter how painful it seemed, life really did go on, even when there were people who were now missing from the world. They had really been so small in the grand scheme of things that by the next day, he'd been expected to move on, just a little, and try to figure out how he was going to live without them.

And in doing so, in moving on just a little, day by day, Jesse had rediscovered those old fairytales and found that, regardless of the pain his wishing had brought him the first time, he couldn't stop wishing for something amazing to happen.

And amazing things seemed to happen at Duel Academy.

The Society of Light sounded like a villain from one of his novels. Ruthless, cruel, bent on something that would undoubtedly spell disaster for the rest of the world, and willing to go through anyone, even an innocent, to get what they wanted.

That was evidence by Lia Shanner.

Jesse remembered her, albeit vaguely. She'd taken a picture of him and Jaden as they'd said goodbye, and made some joke about the two of them staring into each other's eyes (so he'd gotten a little sappy! He'd wanted Jaden to know how much he'd inspired Jesse, there was nothing wrong with that!), and that was really all Jesse could recall of her. He thought that maybe she had short, brown hair, but at the sight of her braid, he'd had to realize that her hair hadn't so much short as it had been caught up in a high ponytail. He was also pretty sure that she'd worn her Ra jacket over her shoulders, not tied around her waist, and her colour scheme was darker than he remembered it. The older looking camera she'd sported had been replaced by a sleek, silver digital camera.

Still, Jesse was glad she hadn't lost herself completely after the attack. The markings on her neck were disturbing, to say the least, and it left a bad taste in Jesse's mouth to think that someone had willingly done that to her.

" _Oh, I remember you. The guy from North. The one who kept hitting on Jaden."_

Still, he had to laugh at that.

' _She's amusing._' Amethyst Cat purred, shimmering into existence mid stretch, her sleek tail flicking back and forth. Jesse glanced at her.

' Ya think so?'

' _For a human_.' Cat said, settling down and starting to lick her paws.

' _Strong too_.' Topaz Tiger said at his side. ' _Or else she would've broken by now._'

' _Oh, most definitely._' Sapphire Pegasus added from Jesse's other side.

' What're ya talkin' about, gahys?'

Cat shrugged elegantly.

' _Little Ruby has been talking with your scarlet boy's monster._' Jesse paused, and called up the image of a brown ball of fur with pretty, fluttering wings.

' _Apparently, this isn't the first incident to happen here._'

' Cat, be more specific." Jesse chided, starting to frown. Amethyst Cat gave him a coy look and started stretching again. He turned to Topaz Tiger to ask if he could talk to the other feline, but found the jungle cat was not by his side. Looking around, he felt his heart leap into his throat as Topaz Tiger milled around Lia's bed, putting his huge paws up on the mattress and leaning over her , sniffing at her face. From her position curled up on Lia's chest, Ruby opened one eye, looking grumpily at Topaz.

' _Now, now, Little Ruby._' The big cat pressed his nose to Lia's cheek. ' _I just want to see what all the fuss is about._'

' _Does she smell strange to you, brother?'_ Cat padded over, taking the other side of the bed. Jesse began making wild hand gestures, trying to signal the spirits to get down, and felt eternal gratitude to whatever god had decided that Miss Fontaine was needed in the other room, Jasmine and the two other girls had class they needed to attend, and Syrus had gone running out as soon as they'd noticed that Jaden was missing, determined to bring the other boy back before he did something stupid.

' _Not strange. Not...exactly._' Topaz shifted so that his nose brushed her forehead and the air from his mouth ruffled her bangs. ' _What do you smell, sister?_'

Cat shrugged, hopping up onto the bed and standing at the girl's side, looking over her with disinterest.

' _Blood and sweat and hardship. Human things, Topaz. Fear, sadness, hope. Nothing to be concerned about. She is a human girl._'

' _She is strong._' The tiger argued. The pale purple panther scoffed.

' _So she is strong. So are many humans. Our Jesse, for one. And his scarlet boy. Strength does not equal strangeness, brother._'

' _Perhaps not, but it merits watching._'

" Will y'all kahndly _get off the bed_?" Jesse hissed, grabbing a hold of Topaz's collar and tugging. The large cat refused to be moved, and turned to look at Jesse as a person might look at a fly that had landed on them.

' _What on earth are you doing, Jesse?_'

' _Darling, you know that won't work._' Cat said, looking up as Pegasus trotted to her side. He too, observed the girl in the bed.

' _Cute_.' He said, smiling. ' _She's a pretty little girl, you have to admit that._'

Cat sniffed.

' _I'm prettier._' And she sat back on her haunches, bringing up a paw to start licking. Ruby settled back down to sleep, the jewel at the end of her tail flashing in the light as she brought it curl towards her face. Jesse kept tugging at Topaz, getting increasingly red in the face.

" What if someone one sees ya?"

' _No danger of that. Your scarlet boy left._' Cat kept licking her paw, levelling him with a bored look.

' _And she doesn't have the power_.' Pegasus bent his neck a little, snuffling at the juncture of her neck and shoulder. Lia moaned a little and moved away from his nose, and Pegasus backed off, wary of her neck.

Cat put her paw down, looking annoyed.

' _I __**told**__ you, just a human girl._'

' _I still say that the strength of her is too..._'

' _What?_' His sister challenged. Topaz stole another look at the sleeping girl, and sighed.

' ..._Inhuman._'

' _I'd really appreciated it if you'd quit talking about her like that_.'

The voice sounded out of nowhere. A second later, a dark-haired woman in a red body suit appeared in a flash of red light, shoving Topaz away from the bed and sweeping a booted leg out at Cat. The panther leapt in the air to avoid the leg, flipping over herself and landing on all fours, where she bared her fangs and hissed. The woman lowered into a fighting stance, two balls of molten red appearing in her hands.

' _And you are?'_ Cat hissed, preparing to pounce. The woman smirked.

' _One who defends those who are defenceless._'

' _Touching._' Cat made to leap forward.

' _Burst Lady, it's been a while._' Topaz acknowledged with a bow of his head. The woman blinked and looked at him.

' _I don't go by that name anymore. I changed it when-'_ She cut herself off, a look of anger passing over her face. ' _A long time ago._'

" Um, you know her?" Jesse whispered to his tiger, looking at the red lady with slight apprehension. He really didn't want to start a fight, but if she insisted on attacking his monsters...

' _Burstinatrix belongs to your scarlet boy_.' Cat sat back up, the look of hostility slowly melting away to reveal one of boredom again. The lady, Burstinatrix, turn to look at Jesse.

' _**Your**__ scarlet boy?_' She raised a brow, and Jesse felt his face go red.

" Well Ah...y'see the Crystal Beasts, they, uh...um..."

' _Jaden belongs to no one but himself._' She gave him a stern look. ' _Remember that._'

" 'Course!" Jesse started rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. " It's just Ah talked 'bout him a lot to these gahys and uh, they, um, just kahnda started...callin' him that." He flushed again, and looked away from her bright green eyes. "Sorry."

' _Why are you here?_' Topaz asked, trying to cover up the awkwardness of the conversation. Burstinatrix looked down at the girl in the bed.

' _I'm protecting her._'

Cat looked up from her washing.

' _From what?_'

Burstinatrix's eyes darkened considerably, and the temperature in the room dropped by several degrees.

' _From the Light_.'

The reaction was instantaneous.

Both Cat and Topaz went still, then arched their backs in feline fury, fur standing on end and puffing out, their muscles rippling under the glossy layer of hair. Jesse leaned back into Topaz, feeling the power thrum off him in waves, a reassuring, steadying beat in the small of his back. Pegasus had folded his wings and was glaring forward, Burstinatrix in his sight, but Jesse knew that his monster wasn't glaring at the fire monster. Ruby had hopped up from her position on Lia's chest, standing protectively over the girls' heart, fire flashing in her eyes and little puffs of it starting to show at the corners of her mouth.

' _So it's true. It's here then.' _Topaz said a low rumble, sound more like a tiger than ever. Jesse pressed a calming hand onto his monster's back.

Burstinatrix nodded.

Cat let out a sound of anger.

' _How dare It? How dare It show Its face on this plane? How dare It come here and...and..._'

' _Did you really expect It to stop?_' Burstinatrix asked softly. Cat looked at her, daggers in her eyes, but stopped short, considering the question. Then slowly, as if the action caused her pain, she shook her head.

' _No, never._'

" Where's Jaden?" Jesse whispered, suddenly feeling very afraid and very excited at the same time. His blood was pumping through his veins and something that might be adrenaline was starting to kick in, making his giddy and fidgety and just a little stupid. For all his monsters seemed to hate and fear this Light, Jesse had the oddest urge to rush out and meet it, if only to say he had.

Burstinatrix gave a small, almost sad smile.

' _He's fighting the Light._'

And in that instant, under the rush of adrenaline and the singing of his blood in his body and all the feeling rushing out of his limbs, Jesse felt the unmistakeable prick of fear at his heart, and before he knew what was happening, he was running out of the infirmary, determined to get to Jaden.

* * *

The first punch had knocked Chazz off balance.

The second had sent him slamming into the ground.

The third had had his head bouncing off the ground and blood flying from his mouth as Jaden yanked his arm back.

Jaden wasn't thinking clearly. He'd kept enough of his head to realize that. There was a reddish haze all around his vision, and even that was too narrow to be normal. All he could see was Chazz. Chazz, smiling blankly as he talked about Lia and Sartorius. Chazz, his eyes saying what his mouth didn't and the cruel, tauntingly looking out of them, goading Jaden to make a move. Chazz, with his face still impassive and empty, blood smeared across his lips and staining his cheeks.

His face was still so pale. And cold, when Jaden's fist had connected. Part of him had to wonder if he felt like an inferno to Chazz. If it weren't for the way Chazz's mouth opened and gulped in air greedily, Jaden would sweat he was fighting a marble statue.

But no, the chest was heaving under those white clothes.

Jaden scowled, the red haze getting thicker.

He hated those clothes.

Without thinking he got down on top of Chazz, one leg on either side of the older boy, kneeling so that Chazz was trapped between his knees. He curled his fingers in Chazz's collar and hauled the other boy up to face him.

" Now, what was that for?" Chazz sounded sincere, as if he had no idea why Jaden had just hit him not once, not twice, but three times in a row, and wanted to solve the problem by talking it out.

It only served to make Jaden angrier.

Chazz wouldn't have wanted to talk it out. Not the old Chazz. Not the _real_ Chazz. The real Chazz would've wanted to fight. He loved a good fight. He went looking for fight because that was who he was. He gloried in the thrill of battle and clashing swords, even if those swords belonged to holographic monsters. Chazz loved to fight, and more than that, he'd love to fight Jaden, at any given moment.

Chazz fought because that was the only way he knew how to express himself. Years upon years on being forced to live up to the Princeton name by his brothers had robbed Chazz of the abilities of self-expression most children learned in grade school. Chazz had found his outlet in fighting. In the middle of a fight, with the crowds choking on their own cheers all around him and an opponent at his front, duel disk or no, he didn't have to be a Princeton. He didn't have to be part of a plan. For one, single, beautiful moment, he could just be Chazz.

It was the freedom of the fight that made Chazz love them so much, and watching him turn one down, with a genial look of confusion, even as more blood seeped out of his split lip, was more than Jaden could take.

He slammed Chazz's head back down onto the ground.

The older boy let out a yelp, followed by a low moan of pain, and Jaden held firm, pushing his weight forward until most of it rested on his fists, which were still balled in Chazz's collar.

" Give him back."

Only, it wasn't Chazz he was talking to. He was looking into Chazz's eyes, of course, and glaring at them, but he was sure he wasn't talking to Chazz. He was looking for something in Chazz's eyes, some sign, some flicker, of the something else he was sure he'd seen in the older boy's face just before Jaden had hit him...

There!

A flicker of movement just behind Chazz's burning orbs. Inside the burning, actually; a shifting, cold, ugly thing that moved in spurts and bursts of movements, never fully stopping, even when still. It had looked out of Chazz's face, sucking up all the light out of his skin and pulling it into those awful eyes, and it had looked out of them and seen Jaden, and something inside him had howled with infuriated recognition.

Jaden leaned closer, his nose nearly brushing Chazz's.

" I'm talking to you."

" Yes, I can see that." Chazz said cheerily, and his lip started swelling. Jaden watched with disinterest and leaned even closer, until his breath fanned the black bangs that hung over his forehead in stark contrast.

" Answer me." He breathed, his voice barely a whisper and nearly lost to the wind that was starting to whip up around them. Something inside him, the something he was getting used to rising to the surface and helping him, shifted and made the space behind his eyes hot again, like it had just second before he'd hit Chazz.

Like it had when he'd protected Cyber Tutu from the Light as Chazz slammed it into Alexis.

Like it had when the shadows had wrapped around him, down in that crypt, and he had been so sure he was going to die.

The heat thrummed in his head, making it buzz, and the red haze seemed to swirl and change, until it was all dark around the edges, something like white but not bleeding into his line of sight and narrowing everything into sharp focus, until Chazz literally was the only thing he could see.

" I am." Chazz insisted, and without thinking, Jaden pushed the heat outwards, slamming into Chazz as hard as he could make it. His eyes started to sting as the heat flooded into them, but he held it fast, pushing against the resistance he met.

" Answer me." He snarled through clenched teeth, and felt something give, curve around the heat he was pushing against Chazz. It nearly unseated him, but he bit the inside of his cheek to steady himself, wincing as blood poured into his mouth.

" Now, what was that for?" Chazz asked again, but there was something different in his tone. Just under the polite question, Jaden heard the undeniable ring of mockery, a taunting edge that hadn't been in Chazz's voice for so long Jaden almost cried with relief. Somehow, he'd gotten through, because it sounded like how the thing had looked at him through Chazz's eyes. He let his vision clear of the not-white that had all but taken over, and Chazz's face came into focus again. Jaden fought the urge to smirk.

It was subtle, but there was a definite difference in his face. A slight tilt of the lips at the corner suggested a cruel smirk. A tick at his cheek made his smile less sincere. The way his eyebrow slanted was making a mockery of Jaden, daring him to try and push his power, whatever it was, into Chazz again. His eyes burned hotter, daring and actually dark against his skin, which had gone white as new-fallen snow, hollowed at the cheeks and jaw until it resembled a skull. A hint of teeth turned the look feral and wild, and Jaden noticed that Chazz's lips were the same colour as the rest of his face, getting paler and paler and thinner and thinner until his eyes seemed to swallow it up, bright and feverish and filled with something that was too old, too wicked, and too apathetic to be human.

" Hello." Jaden said. " I want my friend back."

" Isn't that a shame?" Chazz said sincerely, but the undertone had gotten a little louder and a little deeper, adding the illusion of a second voice to Chazz's own. " Because I'm quite comfortable where I am."

" No you aren't." Jaden said and somehow knew it to be true.

Chazz raised an eyebrow. It too, looked thinner somehow.

" And what makes you say that?"

" You're killing him." Jaden said in the same, casual tone, and wondered how he could be so apathetic. The heat was rushing up his throat now, sparking at his tongue until it moved, his lips on fire as they formed the shapes for the sounds coming out of him.

The tick of the cheek spasmed.

" I'm just getting comfortable." The other voice had dropped an octave, and the heat in Jaden's body shot up into his head and made his mouth move before he really knew what he was saying.

" He's fighting, isn't he?" Jaden felt his lips stretch into a smile of their own accord. " He's fighting you tooth and nail and trying to get free. You can't hold him."

" I can hold anyone!" The other voice had gotten darker now, the eyes flashing as It moved behind them, curling over Itself. The mockery had gone out of Its voice. Jaden leaned closer, until all he could see were the eyes, and they threatened to swallow him whole.

" He's winning, isn't he?"

The body under his bucked wildly, trying to throw him off. Jaden was jostled, but held on, his fingers digging past the jacket and shirt and into the too white skin of his neck. He wondered briefly if he should push his fingers in past the skin and watch the thing bleed out of Chazz. Better his friend dead than controlled. The thought should've disturbed him, but it didn't, and that should've scared him but the heat was numbing, pushing out all other thoughts and forcing down his usual emotional reactions.

" He's beating you. A stupid little mortal is beating you."

The body tried to throwing him off again. Jaden moved with the motion, watching dispassionately as tendons strained under the white layer of skin. The hands finally came up, crawling up his arms like white spiders and grabbing at his face, the blunt nails digging into his skin and making little drops of blood fleck out. Jaden ignored the sting.

" He's beating you and you can't stay in there without killing him."

The hands raked line across his cheek. Jaden felt the blood streak sticky trails down his chin. Little splatters appeared on Chazz's hollowed cheek, but his eyes were too big and Jaden just kept staring into them, a flicker of pride dancing over his face. He leaned down even closer, pressing his forehead to the one under him and let the smile, the big, bright, proud smile spread over his face like the sun dawning after a long, cold night. The heat was silent in his body, letting his mouth move of its own accord and form the words he wanted to say.

" Good for you Chazz. I'm so proud of you."

And the body under him seized up in pain, the mouth opening into a gaping, senseless black maw, going down, down, down; the eyes rolled back, still too bright but a flash of something else in them. Under the burning and under the thing, there was a hint of defiance, hope, and pleading all mixed into one.

Jaden felt the heat rush towards his hands.

" You should never have chosen him." He snarled, leaning away from the face so he could whisper in the ear. The body under him bucked wildly again, convulsing as the thing tried to push down a soul that refused to lie dormant. He let his hand fall to the caving chest, his fingers brushing over the visible ribs and finding the hammering heart underneath. The heat sear through the jacket and the shirt, until he was pressing his palm against frigid, marble-smooth flesh. He smirked, and let it colour his tone.

" You should never have taken this one. He is my friend, and you should've known I'd come and get him. You should've seen this coming, and if you didn't, you're even more a fool then you were back then."

" ..._I_..." The other voice was little more that an inhuman howl by now, a vicious, warped parody of a voice that screeched like nails on a chalkboard. " ..._Won_..."

" One battle." He whispered, and this time, he voice was lost to the wind. " Not the war."

In the back of his head, he could hear screaming, desperate pleas for the pain to stop. He shuddered, and pressed his fingers more firmly against the thundering heart under them.

' Bear with me, for just a little longer. This has to be done.'

And he pushed, light and sound exploding over his senses in an array of colours that danced like scarves in the wind. He was falling, tumbling head over heels and the blood was rushing to his head so fast he couldn't even see and there was a hand, brushing against his, trying to grab onto him, he could feel it on the very edges of his senses, but they were broken and disoriented, and he was reaching back now, he could feel it, his fingers brushing over skin that had been cold too long and too pale from the lack of sunlight and weak and deprived of truth, and he was pulling harder now, hauling that hand, and the arm attached and the _body_ attached to that closer to him, away from the fire he could feel all around them, rushing faster and faster towards the end of everything...

Jaden gasped, and nearly screamed as he was yanked back from Chazz, falling against a warm body. Arms came around his waist to steady him, but his eyes sought to look up. Green eyes, wide with fear and warm with concern, looked back at him frames, by dark turquoise bangs.

" Jesse." Jaden recognized; saying the word out loud made it true, and he let his body, so sore and aching, sag against his friend's, every part of him shaking with fatigue. He let his eyes drift in front of him, and felt the world stop turning as they fell on an unconscious Chazz Princeton, his hair mussed, his lip split and bloody, and smattering of dirt across his usually impeccable uniform. A uniform that, for some unknown reason, had a hole burned right through it and the shirt he wore underneath it, right over his heart.

Jaden breathed in a gasp, and felt Jesse scramble to support him as his knees buckled.

" Fuck." He swore, and then let the world go dark.

* * *

...

Can I get another 'FUCK _YEAH_' from the crowd? Because this TOTALLY calls for one.

And there you have, the exciting conclusion of the Jaden/Chazz Not-Duel! Next week, ZANE!

...

Oh god, what have I gotten myself into?

MoS


	38. Shattering Bond

Warnings: Zane. That is all. _Zane_.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_.

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

If he hadn't been sure of it before, he was now. While he'd been off winning duels and collecting medals in order to not only place high in the GX Tournament, but also score a good final grade, three of his friends had ended up in the hospital. And if that wasn't a sign that things had gone wrong, then Atticus didn't know what was.

It had started, apparently, with Lia going to Miss Fontaine about bruises on her neck. While he hadn't seen them himself, Jasmine had, and from he'd been able to gather from in between her inarticulate noises of rage, they were quite bad, and worse, the girl had no idea how she'd gotten them. She'd refused to go the hospital for a whole day, before Jaden had gotten to her and made her .Apparently, she'd spent the night in the care of a very worried Aster Phoenix, who'd looked after her as best he could. Atticus had dismissed Jasmine's claims that Aster'd had a hand in the marks on Lia's neck, because Atticus could never imagine the boy laying a finger on Lia if she didn't want it. He couldn't imagine _anyone_ even getting close to Lia if she didn't want it.

So the idea of the marks on Lia's throat was doubly disturbing, because it meant that someone had overpowered her and done it to her. That was the only way it could've happened. And Lia must've put up a fight, because there was no way she'd take that kind of abuse lying down. Atticus never once thought he'd have to worry about Lia getting into an abusive relationship because Lia simply did not take shit from anybody. And that meant she'd been helpless, probably pinned down or up against a wall (Jasmine said she had a wicked bump on the back of her head), kicking and fighting and trying to scream.

It made Atticus' stomach turn just to think about it.

He'd promised to protect her. Yasmin had clearly seen something in the girl that was worth dying for, and as the Assailant's lover, it was his duty to complete whatever task she'd left unfinished in the wake of her death. That was partly why he'd sworn to protect Lia. The other reasons included the fact that she was his little sister's best friend, and the fact that he was actually very fond of the younger girl, and wanted to look after her.

But Lia wasn't the only one he'd failed.

A few hours after she'd been admitted into the infirmary, both Jaden and Chazz had ended up in the beds one either side of her, Jaden from exhaustion and Chazz for...well, that was actually a bit of a mystery.

Anyone with two eyes could see that Jaden was tired. Atticus had visited the boy earlier, and Jaden had been sound asleep. That hadn't been the problem. The scratch marks on his face, however, had been. They streaked from where his lips met his chin all the way up to just under his eye. They criss-crossed on his cheeks, dried blood clotting at the edges. He'd had bandages over his face most of the time, but when Atticus had visited, Miss Fontaine had peeled them back to wash the cuts again, and then applied fresh ones. Atticus remembered flinching at the sight because they had looked so red and raw against Jaden's skin.

Chazz was another matter entirely.

He hadn't been awake either, but Miss Fontaine had said that he had been, and that was a good sign. He hadn't been quite so pale anymore, either. The colour had started to flood back into his face, his cheek flushing as he slept and his lips a shade of coral pink. He'd shifted around, as if uncomfortable in his white clothes, and kicked at the blankets until they'd been tangled around his legs. And Atticus' jaw had dropped at the sight.

Burned through Chazz's jacket and shirt was s hole, the fabric darkened and singed around it. On the skin that the hole bared there had been a pinkish burn, no bigger than a fist. What had made Atticus' breath catch was the fact that both the hole and the burn were directly over Chazz's heart.

Atticus shook his head, trying to keep the buzzing thoughts from making him dizzy.

In the end, it all boiled down to one thing:

He'd failed.

He'd failed to protect Lia, and now she was hurt.

He'd failed to protect Jaden, and now the boy was fast asleep, having been like that for days.

He'd failed to protect Chazz, and now the boy had clearly undergone some kind of trial that had left him weak and confused.

He'd even failed to protect his own sister, and now she was in the clutches of an evil entity bent on brainwashing all his friends.

He had one last shot at redeeming himself, and that was why he was standing on the cliff overlooking the lighthouse, waiting for Zane to notice his presence and look up.

Zane had always been aloof, even back when Atticus had first met him. He'd had a sort of quiet dignity about him, a regalness that held all other people at bay and made sure no one dared to enter his bubble. It had gotten him through his first year relatively unscathed, after he'd proven to be more than a challenge in a duel, even to most of the fourth years. Unfortunately for Zane, Atticus had never been one to be put off by aloofness.

" _Hiya!" Atticus bounded up to the older boy. Zane spared him a glance, looking up from his cards, one eyebrow raised in a clear 'who the hell are you and what the hell do you want?' gesture. Atticus found it very impressive that the boy was able to convey all that with just one look._

" _I'm Atticus." He stuck his hand out. Zane looked at it with the same look someone might give a poisonous snake, if that someone were a robot and therefore did not possess the ability to feel fear. He looked back down at his cards. Atticus kept grinning at him, fixing him the mega-watt smile that would, if nothing else, make the other boy feel so uncomfortable, he'd __**have**__ to say something._

" _Zane." He said at length, and Atticus did a little mental victory dance._

" _So __**Zane**__," he made sure to emphasize the name, " what'cha doin'?"_

_There was another silence, a deliberating one, as if Zane was debating with himself whether or not to answer again. Then,_

" _Restructuring my deck."_

" _Cool." Atticus leaned forward more. " Why?"_

_Zane looked at him again, one brow still raised._

" _Don't you have anyone else to annoy?" It sounded less like a question and more like 'get the hell away from me.'_

_Atticus waved it off._

" _Nah, my sister isn't coming until next year. So I'm sorta short on victims right now. Say," He leaned forward again, looking at Zane's eyes under his bangs. " You're even better looking up close."_

_That got a reaction._

_A red blush flooded Zane's cheeks as he scooted back, staring at Atticus with wide eyes. His cards were still clutched in his fingers, Atticus noticed, but under the blush Zane was pale. The younger boy put on his best innocent grin, even as, through his sputtering, Zane managed to string a few words together._

" _But...how...__**what**__?"_

_Atticus crouched on the ground, still smiling at Zane like he was a toddler._

" _I said you're even better looking up close. Just take the compliment without freaking, okay?" Atticus said in a calm voice. Zane scowled at him, but, from the angle Atticus was looking at, it resembled a pout._

" _You __**do**__ know I'm a guy, right?"_

" _With those arms, baby, I'd hope so." Atticus winked roguishly, and Zane scurried even farther back. " Take it easy, I'm just messing with you."_

" _So you aren't hitting on me?" Zane eased himself back into a sitting position._

" _Oh no, I'm hitting on you." He stiffened again. " I'm just not serious about it."_

" _But I thought you said you knew I was a guy."_

" _Hey, I don't discriminate." Atticus shrugged. " Hot is hot, and you, my friend, are hot."_

" _I'm not your friend." Zane said automatically. He gathered his cards again, and made to go back to studying them, but Atticus was quicker._

" _Yeah, I noticed. You never seem to hang out with anyone, so I thought, hey, why not talk to you."_

" _So this is a pity conversation?"_

" _I couldn't help myself." Atticus sighed dramatically. " Brooding older men make me go weak at the knees."_

" _You're doing it again."_

" _I can't help it. I'm a flirt by nature. It's who I am."_

" _Bet your boyfriends love that."_

" _Eh, the guys are actually more okay with it than the girls."_

" _I was being sarcastic."_

" _I know. I was just messing with you."_

" _Why?"_

" _Well, because." Atticus let just the right amount of sensuality seep into his tone, and leaned forward, staring into Zane's eyes. " You're really cute when you're flustered."_

" _Stop it." Zane's voice was clipped. " You're starting to get on my nerves, __**freshman**__."_

" _Oooh, so it's gonna be like that, is it?" Atticus pouted. " Well, two can play at that game, Mr. Kaiser."_

_Zane snorted._

" _Was that supposed to be an insult?"_

" _You tell me."_

" _You're not very good at this whole, back and forth thing, are you?"_

" _I told you, I'm a natural flirt. And let me tell you, I am really having to repress my natural urges right now."_

" _You know you could always go away. Solve both our problems."_

" _What's __**your**__ problem?"_

" _There's this annoying little first-year sitting next to me, and he won't shut up so I can focus on my cards."_

" _You forgot to mention how pretty I am."_

" _You just like the sound of your own voice, don't you?"_

" _Well, it __**is**__ fabulous."_

" _You know, if I hadn't known you liked guys before, the way you said that last word would've tipped me off."_

" _Really? I usually rely on my gaydar. It's pretty accurate."_

" _And you zeroed in on me because...?"_

" _Oh, I know you're not gay. But like I said. Brooding older men. Makes my brain go to mush."_

" _And here I thought it was mush already."_

" _That's cold."_

" _I generally am."_

" _Bet I could warm you up."_

" _Okay, seriously, if you aren't going to leave, can you at least stay on your side?"_

" _Ow! You don't have to shove, Zaney!"_

" _Call me that again, and you and I will settle this the old fashioned way."_

" _Why do I get the feeling cards will not be involved."_

" _Fists will. Blood might."_

" _Okay, okay, I'll back off. Spoilsport."_

" _Instead of complaining, how about you go away?"_

" _No way."_

" _Why not?"_

" _You're way too interesting. I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship!"_

" _Touch me again, and I will beat you with my duel disk."_

" _Okay, sheesh!"_

It hadn't been the best of starts, but it had been theirs, and Atticus had kept at it until Zane had let him in, as much as Zane_ could_ let anyone in. They talked card strategies over lunch and Zane let Atticus borrow his notes from the previous year, and warned about how to avoid getting on certain teacher's bad sides. Atticus had cheered Zane on in the School Duel that year, and Zane had gone to karaoke night with Atticus, insisting the entire night that he was there under protest. They'd gotten drunk together at the end-of-the-year party, and Zane, who'd been more sober than Atticus, but that wasn't saying much, had let the younger boy crash in his room for the night. Zane had spent almost as much time hauling Atticus down off of tables before he could start singing as he did fiddling around with his deck. Atticus spent more money on Zane's birthday presents that he did on hair care products, and that was saying something.

When Atticus had finished his motorcycle, he'd shown Zane first.

When Zane had gotten the top mark in all his classes, he'd let Atticus buy him a double scoop cotton candy ice cream (his secret guilty pleasure) sundae.

When Alexis had come to Duel Academy, Atticus had entrusted his little sister's livelihood to Zane. And in his absence, the older boy had taken to the task like a fish to water. Of course, Atticus had his own plans; thoughts about Alexis, sighing dreamily over a boy, of Zane, slightly flushed and smiling a little smile at some girl, maybe even the two of them, his best friend and his sister, standing together, not saying anything, but threading their fingers together when their hands brushed.

Atticus had his own plans, and Zane becoming dark just threw one big wrench into them.

Not to mention the fact that, having gone through the same thing, Atticus knew he wouldn't wish the experience on anyone, not even his worst enemy.

Down below, Zane's eyes drifted upwards, and Atticus took a deep breath, arranging his face into a friendly smile. As soon as Zane's eyes met his, Atticus started waving like he used when he called a greeting to Zane from across the cafeteria. Zane scoffed, but glanced to the clearing they both knew rested by the base of the volcano. They'd found it towards the end of Atticus' first year, and it had become their sanctuary, where they'd go to unwind and talk and sometimes, just duel for fun.

Atticus nodded, smile still on his face, and turned around to hurry to the clearing. The second he did, the smile dropped, and an expression of grim determination overtook it.

* * *

" Nice threads." Atticus whistled in appreciation.

Zane rolled his eyes, still preparing his duel disk.

" No, I mean it." Atticus pressed on, forcing his voice to take on the playful, flirty tone it usually had. " That colour does wonders for your hair and makes you eyes stand out so much more."

" Did you come here to flirt, or duel?" Zane snapped, and glared at him. Atticus felt a shiver go down his spine at the cold look in the green orbs.

He didn't let the smile slip.

" You're still so broody. Honestly, you know what that does to me." He pretended to swoon. " Zaney, you are such a tease."

" I'm going to annihilate you." He hissed, letting his duel disk activate with a sharp click.

" Promises, promises." Atticus let his own disk activate. " You know, I never took you for the sadomasochistic type. I always figured you'd be a little dominating, but this is going beyond that."

" Shut up." Zane glared at him from across the field. " Hurry up and make a move."

" Alright, alright. Don't get so pushy." Atticus slapped a card down onto the disk. " I'll start with Red Eyes Black Chick."

" How cute." Zane looked like he was ready to spit acid.

" Hey, I'm not done yet. By sending my chick to the Graveyard, I get to summon my Red Eyes Black Dragon right off the bat."

" You're starting to bore me."

" So cold." Atticus pouted. In a flash of golden light, his chick morphed into his dragon, its jaws open in a roar. " Didja hear about what happened?"

" Are you done yet?" Zane sounded so distant, and Atticus bit the inside of his cheek, a feeling of helplessness sweeping through him. Zane was so far gone, how was he supposed to...

" I'll play Inferno Fire Blast. So, if I attack you directly, you take Red Eyes' attack points as damage." He slapped the card down. " So, have you heard?"

" Heard what?" Zane's voice was almost as the explosion of Red Eyes' attack ripped through the air.

" Heard about what's been goin' on around here." Atticus put a card face down as the dust settled.

Zane scoffed, drawing a card.

" I couldn't care less."

" That's cold, Zaney."

" I haven't even started yet." Zane slapped a card down. " I'll play my Cyber Dark Horn."

Atticus blinked at the dark brown/black creature, it's pale, wicked green eyes looking at him.

" That's a new one."

" Just wait. It gets better. Now I get to take a Level 4 or below dragon from either of our Graveyards and add it to my Cyber Dark Horn to drain its attack points. And I choose your Chick." Zane gave him a sadistic smile.

Atticus didn't let himself flinch as a bolt of golden light shot from his disk over to the thing on Zane's side of the field, slowly taking form and darkening as it became his Red Eyes Black Chick. The thing closed its claws around the scared little monster, who gave a whimper and tried to pull away. Four tentacles attached themselves to the monster, and they started to glow gold.

And the little monster _screamed_.

This time, Atticus didn't bother to hide his flinch, his eyes screwing shut as his monster wailed in pain.

" Stop it, Zane!" He shouted, still not looking. " What's wrong with you, this isn't like you!"

" You mean it isn't like the old me." Zane said coldly, over the sound of the screams. He cast a cold eye at the writhing monster. " You mean it isn't like that weak person I was before."

" Since did caring about something make you weak?" Atticus demanded.

" I care about things. I care about winning. I care about being the best. I care about not losing, ever again, to anyone." Zane's voice dropped to a growl. " If Cyber Dark Horn's target is in defence mode, and has fewer points than it, then the difference comes out of your life points." He pulled up a card. " And I'll play this. Mega-Morph. If I have fewer lifepoints than you, this card will double my monster's attack points, making it just as strong as your dragon."

Atticus winced.

" Zane..."

" You pulled off a very impressive combo attack for your first move. Tell me," Zane's eyes lit up with no friendly light, " do you think you could do it on your own?"

" What?" Atticus felt his stomach drop.

" You and I both recognize that deck, _Atty_." Zane's laugh was short and cruel. " I was just wondering if you could've made that move all by yourself."

" Nightshroud will always be a part of me." Atticus said through gritted teeth.

" That so?" Zane seemed unimpressed.

" I'm the one in control now. I'm the one who calls the shots. I'm-"

" That's a lie and you know it." Zane cut him off. Atticus blanched, his heart stopping for a moment. " You're dependent on him. You _need_ him. You think I don't know that? You think I don't know _you_?" Zane gave him a malicious smile, and Atticus had to force himself to remember how to breathe.

" You're my best friend, Atticus." The words cut like knives. " You think I don't know about the nightmares? About the way you still cry yourself to sleep at night? About the way you hear Talia and Devon screaming in the dark corners of your room?

" You think I don't know about how you would give _anything_ to take it all back? I know you, _Atty_. I know what you'd do. You'd take it all on yourself. You'd take all that darkness and stuff it inside if you thought it would help. But it won't, because I also know you're too weak to do that. You couldn't handle it. You'd buckle under the weight of it all and you'd die begging for mercy as your soul was ripped apart. That's why you need Nightshroud. He can do what you can't. He can hold the weight you would be crushed under. You need him so bad it makes you sick, doesn't it? I know about that, Atticus; you told me. You always told me everything. Because we're friends. Because we trust each other. Let me ask you something, Atticus, from one friend to another."

Zane's eyes were lit up with hellfire, and Atticus had to swallow a wail of despair.

" Do you still think I'm interesting?"

And he sent his Cyber Horn to attack.

* * *

Hey, sorry for being late. I had a hectic weekend. But the good news is, I have now an apartment for next year! Woo-hoo, living off campus with my friends!

Anywho, here is the true introduction of the Hell Kaiser. And the beginning of the Zane/Atty friendship. I love how Atty just flirts with him! So, yay! And now, I need to go. Sorry for the short note, but I have essays to worry about, so, see you all on Friday.

MoS


	39. Rebuilding Paths

Warnings: Zane. Society!Alexis. In the same place. ...This is gonna be ugly.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_.

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

" You were watching."

" I happened to wander up there."

" You were watching."

" Don't flatter yourself. Yes, I was watching, but I wasn't doing it because I was interested."

" I never said you were."

" You implied it."

" How so?"

" Your eyes say everything for you."

" So you admit to looking into my eyes."

" I admit to looking at your face. You're not as guarded as you like to think you are."

" How do you know I didn't just let you see that?"

" And let yourself be so open? I doubt it."

" There's a lot you don't know about me."

" There's a lot I thought I knew about you."

" And maybe they were true."

" Maybe?"

" Depends on the things you're talking about."

" I thought you hated torture. You always got so squeamish whenever it came up during movies."

" Comparing those times to this situation is pointless."

" You're so negative. I think I liked you better when you had less of a personality."

" And now you're admitting that you liked me. You're on a roll. Should I have brought my priest's robes? Made this into a real confession? Have you do penance?"

" You're mocking me."

" You catch on quick."

" I don't have to take this from you."

" Oh, and why not?"

" Because you're just another soul walking around blindly."

" Really now."

" Yes."

" Prove it."

" Prove what?"

" That I'm the blind one and you're not."

" How dare you? I've seen the Light. I know the truth."

" Truth is relative. What you think is the truth might just be another lie."

" The Light doesn't lie. It burns all the lies away. It gets rid of the darkness that encases us."

" You keep saying that. I wonder if you even know what it means."

" It means that you are blind and I can see."

" I can see too. And you know what I see?"

" What?"

" A hopeless fanatic so desperate for something to believe in that she'll let herself be brainwashed by some cult. I see a pathetic little girl begging for someone to show her the way because she's too weak to see it for herself."

" How. Dare. You."

" Truth hurts, doesn't it?"

" You think you're better than me? You, stumbling around in the dark, getting lost, wearing that ridiculous outfit?"

" Oh yeah, because the white doesn't make you look washed out at all."

" These clothes are a symbol of my loyalty to Sartorius and the Society! They represent the truth you seem to think is just a joke!"

" ...They really got to you, didn't they?"

" My eyes were opened!"

" You were so desperate for someone to show you the way that you let them tell you what to believe."

" Shut up!"

" You honestly believe the crap coming outta your mouth, don't you?"

" I said, shut up!"

" You're so pathetic, it makes me sick to think that we used to be friends."

SMACK.

" I said shut up!"

" ..."

" You took the words right out of my mouth. Look at you. Do you really hate losing so much? You're too weak to even admit to your failures and fight to improve on them."

" ...I did improve."

" Yeah, you put on a black coat and sank even deeper into the dark."

" Did you miss my winning streak?"

" Does it look like I care? You're just another lost soul, like my brother."

" Are you going to try and save him too?"

" Some souls are beyond saving. Some souls aren't _worth_ it."

" And I suppose that glare is supposed to tell me I'm part of the second batch?"

" What do you think?"

" I'm hurt, I really am."

" Funny, I didn't think people without hearts could feel pain."

" That's the pot calling the kettle black, now isn't it?"

" How so?"

" You won't even lift a finger to help your own brother, a boy you nearly died trying to save last year. That Society has messed you up good, hasn't it?"

" The Light opened my eyes. My brother is nothing but a shameless, stupid bastard who went willingly into the darkness before, and therefore damned himself a long time ago! He's beyond saving! You saw him today! The darkness nearly took over and Nightshroud almost came back! He's too far gone, I can't save him!"

" And that kills you, doesn't it?"

" Don't be stupid. I have no sympathy for someone like that."

" Then why are you crying?"

" I'm not!"

" Yes, Alexis, you are."

" I wouldn't waste my tears on him! I wouldn't waste them on anyone lost in the darkness!"

" Funny, I seem to remember you crying over Atticus more than once last year."

" That was then and this is now! I've changed! I'm different!"

" Yes, you are. And so am I."

" Shut up, just shut up! You have no right to assume things about me! You don't know me anymore."

" Bit of a double standard you have there. I'm not allowed to assume, but you are? How's that fair?"

" Stop it! Stop mocking me! You don't know me at all!"

" I know you better than you think."

" You know the old Alexis! Not me! I'm not her!"

" Then why do you cry like she did?"

" I'm _not crying!_"

" Oh yes, yes you are."

" Shut the fuck up! Duel me! I'll make you see I'm not the girl you think I am."

" Sorry, I'm not looking for something to put me to sleep."

" Why you-"

" You claim you've changed, but I still see the scared little girl who hid behind me and her brother last year, when things got tough."

" I didn't-"

" Or maybe it was Jaden you were cowering behind and offering up like a sacrifice."

" Don't you say his name!"

" Hit a nerve, huh?"

" I won't let you talk about the person standing in our way like he's someone that matters! Activate your disk! I'll shut you up with my cards!"

" Like I said, no thanks. I'm not looking to fall asleep at the light house."

" _You bastard_!"

" Violence never solved anything, Lex."

" Don't call me that!"

" What, Lex? You didn't seem to mind it last year. In fact, I think you liked it."

" I was stupid and blind! I didn't know any better! I didn't know-"

" The truth, I get it. Honestly, Alexis, you're starting to sound like a broken record. Try getting some new material to preach."

" ...I hate you."

" Everyone in the world hates each other. We all lash out and cause each other pain because it's the only way we know how to express ourselves. We live to cause each other misery, and drag others down so they can share in our torment. So go ahead, hate me, Lexi. It doesn't mean a thing."

" The only reason the world is like that is because people are lost in the dark. Once they see the Light, they'll stop."

" So you say. And yet, here you are, trying to hurt me."

" You only see it that way because you're lost."

" If being found mean becoming like you, then no thanks. I like being lost."

" I don't have to take this."

" Oh, I think you do." Zane gave her a look that wasn't quite as cold as all the others he'd given her since they'd met by the light house. It seemed almost warm, his gaze prickling her skin and making something twist uncomfortably in her head.

" In fact," his voice had dropped again, but it wasn't a growl this time, " I think you _want_ to take it. I think you _want_ to listen."

Her back against the light house, Alexis gasped.

" Excuse me?"

" I told you." Zane said the words like they were silk, his voice rolling around them and sending little curls of heat – hotter than they should be. Hot like the Light, but...wrong - painfully shooting down her spine. " I know you better than you think I do."

" Oh yeah?" She tried to snarl, but it came out weak, a hopeful little plea that she wanted to take back the second it escaped her lips. Her eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms at her chest. His eyes followed the movement, darting to where her heart lay hammering beneath her ribs, and flashed with something she couldn't name.

" I know," he whispered again, and it did strange things to her mind, clouding it up with words and thoughts that the Light had all but eradicated, " that right now, you're feeling a little dizzy and a little strange." A calloused hand with equally calloused fingers reached out and rested itself on the top of her white shirt. Alexis caught her breath, and even though her mind screamed to shove him away, she remained perfectly still.

" I know that your heart is pounding in your chest right now." How could he know that? She hadn't even realized until he pointed it out. " And you don't know why."

He leaned closer, and under the salty smell of the ocean, Alexis smelled the leather of his coat, and a hint of a masculine, musky scent she couldn't name.

" I know," his breath ghosted past her cheek and made her bangs dance a little. A strange sound of what might be pain tried to crawl up the back of her throat, and she swallowed quickly, her stomach a tangle of knots, " that you feel all tangled up on the inside, and it's scaring you."

" You don't know anything." She hissed at him, but she was suddenly breathless, the air rushing out around the words and stealing their meaning. She tried to gasp in another breath, and found that the air around them was too hot, too wrong, too full of something she couldn't put a name to, the heat radiating from his body filling the air with a strange kind of energy. It made her lightheaded. The voice in her head, the voice that kept telling her how blind doing things like this made her, was drowned out by the rushing noise in her ears. She fought to keep her wits about her, and involuntarily gasped as Zane leaned forward even more, one arm coming to rest by her ear and trapping her against the light house.

" Don't I?" He whispered, and there was something both hopeful and desperate and in a way, affectionate, in it and despite what The Society had taught her, Alexis wanted it. In that instant, she wanted it so bad her legs nearly buckled out from under her and the blood rushed to her head, the sudden change making her vision swim. The oddest sense of hope filled her for a brief second, and through the haze of dancing colours, she could almost see a hand reaching out to her. It took several seconds for her to compose herself, but she couldn't take her eyes from him, because that would be admitting defeat, and Alexis was not going to lose to a lost soul.

" No." She panted, and didn't know why she was so short of breath. " You don't."

His eyes flashed again, and this time the look stayed, a smouldering, searing looking that made her feel like he was setting her on fire with his gaze alone. Her insides squirmed unpleasantly and shivers erupted down her back. He was looking at her, past her, way deep down into the place where the Light rested and tried to resist. Zane smirked, and leaned down so that his face hovered in front of hers.

" I know you're very confused right now." She fought back the urge to lean into him. " And I know why."

" Oh yeah?" She pushed off the light house a little to glare into his eyes. Her nose brushed his, and every breath he took hit her lips like waves crashing on the rocks below them. " Enlighten me then, oh brilliant one."

Zane breathed in deep, and Alexis had to wonder how he didn't choke on the electrified air. It felt like everything, from the cold stone at her back to the solid, warm body at her front, was pushing inwards, poking at her defences and shoving hard, trying to break past them. It felt like every little particle was slamming against her, twisting and turning and wriggling as they chipped away at whatever it was that kept her sane.

" I'm lost and I'm dark and I'm everything you're supposed to hate and you?" Zane hissed, his eyes burning holes into her. A little sound, half way between a whimper and a gasp, slipped past her lips, and she saw Zane's whole body tense. The same heat that was burning the air (was that air around her? She couldn't breathe it, for fear of setting herself on fire. Or was it something else? Was there something else on the inside of her that was going to...to what, exactly? To burn? Why did that word send a shiver of fear down her spine?) flooded into his eyes and Alexis pushed herself off the pillar behind her a little more, letting her eyes find his and holding them. Fissions of fear shot down her back, and her legs wobbled a little, even as she bit her tongue and wondered what she was so afraid of.

" You want me to save you." He whispered, and the Light reared Its head in fury. Her own throbbed at the outburst.

" I don't want you to." She panted tilting her head back to look at him, daring him to make a move. The look in his eyes seared hotter at her defiance, and the beast in her chest roared in challenge. She tasted blood as she bit her tongue too hard.

" Say that without looking like you're ready to plead for salvation." He taunted, but a strained tone in his voice made her think that he might not mean it. She pushed herself against his warm chest while trying to tell her legs to work so that she could run.

" I don't want you." She insisted, mocking smirk on her face even as his face darkened and a flush crept up the back of her neck.

" Lexi, I'm warning you." Zane said, his teeth clenching. The heat in his eyes, the promise that she didn't dare ask him to voice, was almost unbearable, but Alexis wanted to run. Her heart was beating far too fast and the Light was clawing at her ribs, pushing at them like It wanted to get to the thundering organ beneath them. Each jab left her breathless and disoriented, and Zane's hand suddenly felt like a lead weight on her shoulder. It hung like a noose around her neck and for some reason she both wanted to throw it off and grab it with the intention of never letting go.

Alexis let her head fall back, low moan of pain coming from her mouth as another jab made her grit her teeth. Zane's other arm snapped up and trapped her between the light house and his body. Her every nerve ending sang with agony as the Light roughly shoved at her, making her lean back against the stone. He followed her with his own body, holding her up as her knees threatened to give way.

" Easy, Lexi. Take it easy. I'm right here." He dropped his head to whisper in her ear. Alexis leaned her head to the side, baring her neck.

" It hurts." She moaned, shaking. " Why does it hurt? It shouldn't want to hurt me. I've seen the Light. Go away." She shoved at his chest, but her legs felt very weak, and she wanted nothing more than to collapse into his arms and let him do something, anything, to help the ache that was starting to form in her chest.

" Of course it's hurting." Zane hissed in her ear. " Don't you know what that is inside you? A monster, Lex. A hideous, twisted form of life that's got no business living off of your spirit. It's a parasite, and it's sucking you dry, Alexis."

" Shut up." She whispered, almost completely undone by the feel of the iron spearing through her. Zane pressed himself closer, and she all but collapsed into him, hating herself. She moved her leg, trying to kick at him, and the sigh Zane gave her as he blocked it rankled her. Then his hand tightened on her leg, pushing it up to lay flat against the lighthouse. His rough hand dug into the skin of her knee where he held it, and she trembled at the rough treatment.

" I want to help you, Lex, I do. I want to save you. You're so important to me." his voice became strangled and he punctuated the words with sharp squeeze of the skin under his hand. "But I can't do it unless you want it."

Alexis' eyes nearly rolled back into her head. Tiny explosions were rippling out from the core of her body, and she could barely stand it. Her whole body trembled with pain. She was afraid to open her mouth, because the only sounds she could make at the moment would only confirm what he was saying. Her mind screamed that it was wrong, that she should push Zane away, that allowing herself to be spoken to like that by a lost one was going against everything the Society stood for.

For the first time, Zane looked like he was pleading.

" Please."

" Don't...need saving." She insisted breathlessly, but it was little more than a gasp of air between thrusts at her heart. The Light was hurting her and It shouldn't and it was all Zane's fault. Her mind spun in circles as she tried to make sense of what was going on. A split second later Zane pulled back, and Alexis whined at the loss of contact before she could stop herself. She tried to follow, her body threatening to give way under her, but his hands closed around her shoulders and shoved her back against the light house, cool stone in stark contrast to her heated skin.

" Prove it." He challenged through gritted teeth, and it stirred something inside her. Before she was aware of what she was doing, her addled brain finally gave up fighting. Through the numbness that had spread through her body like wildfire, she found herself her dragging him down, maybe a little too sharply, to meet her eyes.

Because regardless of everything that was going, or perhaps because of it, the only thing her spinning mind could tell her was that it was _Zane_, her friend, standing right in front of her. And in some desolate, almost lost part of her scarred and battered psyche, the girl who'd refused to give into the Light staggered forward, crying for help.

* * *

And later, after the world had righted itself and she could breathe without moaning in pain or crying and her mind worked again, Alexis watched Zane walk away from the light house with a strange feeling in her chest. Her heart wasn't exactly hammering (and she'd lost count of the number of times it'd stopped while he'd held her to him), but it was beating faster than normal, pumping something besides blood out into her system. Her veins felt like they were starting to simmer again, but not in the same pain being next to Zane had made her feel.

It was different, more dangerous somehow, and Alexis pressed her fingers to her chest, trying to figure out what was making her whole body start to burn.

There was something about white flashing before her eyes, and smiles and friendship and hope...

Without realizing it, Alexis started off down the beach path, the image of a smiling, pink-haired ballerina burned into her mind.

* * *

...

I reveal nothing.

See you all next week, that is, if you turn up to find out how this plays out. I think you'll like it.

MoS


	40. Shining Triumph

Warnings: Remember that whole 'hurt to heal' thing from last Year? It's time for a little of that.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_.

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

Alexis wasn't sure what was happening. She felt so heavy, like her arms and legs were made of lead. There was a pounding in her head, pushing out at the edges of her brain, slamming against her skull. She brought one hand up to press against her temples, and felt her breath catch as she realized that it was shaking. She could see it trembling, almost fading into a flesh coloured blur it was going so fast. She tried to control it, tried to do as her mind commanded her to, but the demand only seemed to make her shake ever worse, the tremors expanding from her hand and travelling down her arm.

She gulped audibly.

Why was she shaking so badly? Why was her head pounding like a drum being beaten? She felt short of breath and her legs wobbled as though her bones were made of jello and were about to collapse on her, one bit of her falling into the next and crumbling down, breaking the flesh casing that held her together and letting her spill out, organs and muscles and strange, zinging blood, onto the dusty rocks below.

She gasped again at the image came to her, and bile rose in her throat, hot and stinging.

" What's wrong with me?" She croaked, threading her almost vibrating fingers through her blonde bangs. Sweat gathered in the dip of her furrowed brows and dripped down the bridge of her nose. She leaned heavily against the side of the cliff as she hobbled along, no destination in mind. Her feet stumbled as she tried to make them work. The first rays of the dawn were peeking out over the ocean, and Alexis winced, covering her eyes with her hand.

' Why does the light hurt? I'm not blind anymore, I can see. I should be happy and calm right now!'

Her stomach heaved.

' So why do I feel so sick?'

There were steps in front of her now, and she started up them without even meaning to. She veered dangerously to the side, and grabbed onto the railing, leaning heavily against it as she tried to climb the next stair.

And image of a pink haired girl in pale green and red body suit danced in front of her eyes, and Alexis leaned over the side of the steps and emptied her stomach.

* * *

In the infirmary, despite the quiet of the early morning, Jaden sat straight up in bed, a look of fear on his face. Scrambling, and getting himself tangled in the sheets in the process, he tried to get out of the bed.

* * *

Alexis coughed, drying heaving over the railing for a few moments. Then she sank to her knees on the wood underneath her, her legs unable to support her anymore.

" What's wrong with me?" She moaned again, the pounding in her head getting louder. Something hot entered her blood, pumping out from her heart and making her vision swim in front of her. Everything fell into sharp focus for a moment, the colours brightened to blinding proportions and the light from the sun over the ocean burning into her eyes. Alexis sobbed, pressing the heels of her palms into her eyes, trying to stop them from hurting. The Light wasn't supposed to hurt her; this wasn't supposed to happen.

" Stop it, stop it now!" She pleaded, staggering as she got to her feet.

" I don't like this! Stop it!"

Her blood raced hot in her veins, but it wasn't a good hot. It was like she was on fire on the inside, the flames licking at her bones and trying to push past her skin, to erupt out in fountains of searing blazes, infernos streaking out of her. It was like the sparks where inside of her, right inside her heart, and with each pump, it pushed more of them out into her body, and she didn't want it.

With a moan, Alexis climbed the next step, forcing her legs to work even as they quaked.

* * *

" Huh? Jay?" Jesse's sleepy voice made Jaden pause. Jesse was sitting up on one of the unoccupied beds, his dark blue shirt untucked and unevenly hanging around his neck. The cuffs were pushed up and he was busy rubbing one eye, the other still closed. He looked tired, and his spiky hair was even spikier, fluffed up from sleep.

Jaden shook his head as a spike of foreboding stabbed at his chest and made him hurry around the room, looking for his shoes.

"What're ya doin' Jay?" Jesse's accent got thicker and his words slurred together. Jaden ducked under his bed, and cursed when his red boots weren't there.

" Nothing, Jess. Go back to sleep."

But Jesse was already sliding off the bed, much more gracefully than Jaden had, albeit yawning. He stumbled over to where the Slifer was seriously considering literally tearing the room apart to find his shoes, and leaned over the bed. He leaned a little too far, and ended up falling on it, his head just a little above Jaden's as he lay on his stomach.

" No, seriousleh, what's all this fo'?" Jesse yawned again, but gave Jaden a small smile. Normally, Jaden would've returned it, but blind panic was starting to flood his mind, and he jumped back to his feet, nearly hitting Jesse in the chin in his haste.

" I just...I have to go." He stuttered, looking under the other bed. A flash of red caught his attention and he darted around the other side, skidding on his knees to grab the boots. Jesse lay where he'd flopped down, watching Jaden with unfocused, half-lidded eyes.

" Go where?" He muttered, reaching up to rub his eyes again. Jaden ignored him, pulling the boots on as the panic became a full blown fear, beating out a rhythm of an alarm in his head.

" The Red Dorm." He muttered, almost growling when the boot got stuck. " There's something going on."

* * *

Alexis looked up, almost surprised as she stared up at the Slifer Dorm.

" What the?" She whispered, her head still pounding. " What am I doing here?"

The answer came in the form of her legs finally giving out and her crashing down to the ground, her vision swimming and becoming nothing more than a blur of colours for a moment. The pounding got louder, drowning out the crash of the waves and call of seagulls and even the sound of her own desperate gasps for air. She couldn't even hear her own heart beating in her ears over the noise of the drumming in her head.

Or maybe it was her heart. Maybe the organ was beating so fast and hard that it was echoing through her body and causing her pain. Maybe it was pumping the heat into her blood too much, and the pain of it had shuddered up to her head and was trying to push out of her skull. It seemed so illogical, but then, a lot of things had been illogical lately.

The Blue Dorm painted white and Chazz smiling so wrongly (or was the rightly? How _was_ he smiling? And what did it have to do with anything, anyway?), white uniforms and wearing a skirt again when she'd promised herself that she wouldn't and Zane, holding her hand tight and rocking her as she cried and why did it hurt so much and...and...

The memory slipped away from her, shards stinging under her skin like the fire that was there already, burning up in it She fought to hold onto them, to the little pictures of gleaming white rooms and soft music playing through an open window and her own reflection in the mirror, skin pale (too pale, she was too pale. Or maybe she wasn't pale enough. Which one was it? She didn't know anymore) and eyes...eyes...

Something about fire, about the fire that was under her skin and in her bones and behind her face, blazing and burning and eating away at her-No. It was saving her, wasn't it? Burning up all the darkness that had blinded her for years and years. The fire under her skin was showing her the true path she destined to take and showing her how others were lost, but she didn't care about saving them, not even her own brother, because he was far too lost in the darkness to see the-

" _Truth is relative. What you think is the truth might just be another lie."_

Who had said that? She turned her head around wildly. The area was empty, and she was alone.

No, not alone. There was something there with her something that was inside of her and searing away at her very soul, heating it until it was malleable and twisting it to suit its own machinations-No! It was saving her and keeping her safe, wasn't that it? The...fire inside of her...the burning thing... was letting her see the world the way it really was?

She didn't know anymore.

Somewhere, deep inside of her, she wondered if she ever had.

* * *

Jaden got about two or three steps out the door before his fatigue caught up with him and he nearly fell on his face. He threw his arms out at the last second and groaned as his palms hit the cold floor. Wincing, he climbed back to his feet, trying to ignore the fact that his legs had started to shake the second he put his weight on them.

" Fuckin' hell!" He swore, gritting his teeth. An arm wrapped around his waist and suddenly, he was leaning against a warm body. Looking up, Jaden blinked as Jesse smiled down at him, looking much more awake than he had a few minutes previous.

" Easy there, Jay. You're gunna hurt yourself if you're not careful." He eased his shoulders under Jaden's arm. The Slifer blinked again, still not quite comprehending the situation.

" Jesse, what...?"

" Ah can tell that you're serious 'bout this Red Dorm thing, and nuthin' Ah say is gunna change your mahnd, rahght?"

" Yeah." Jaden agreed slowly. Jesse carefully set him back down on his feet, and Jaden was relieved that his legs didn't buckle this time. Jesse let him pull his arm off of the other boy, and gave Jaden's waist an encouraging squeeze before letting go. Jaden stood shakily on his feet, took a deep breath, and started off again, much slower this time. Jesse followed.

" What?" Jaden asked as his friend fell into step beside him. Through the huge windows, he could see the sun starting to rise, and remembered his first day back. " Are you gonna come with me?"

" You think Ah'd let you run off in your condition?" Jesse laughed, and Jaden managed a small one in return, despite the fact that his stomach was in knots.

" Thanks, Jesse." He murmured, speeding up as much as his weak body would allow.

" So, what's got ya in such a fluster?"

" I don't know." Jesse shot him a suffering glance. " I just know it's bad."

* * *

Alexis choked back a scream as the pounding bypassed painful and went straight to agonizing. The heat that had been racing around her body flooded upwards, pressing against her head at all sides. The world grew ever more focused, the colours so bright that she felt tears sting the corners of her eyes as she screwed them shut, trying to will the world back to a more muted shade. A split second later she felt as though someone had kicked her in the chest. The air rushed out of her lungs and she let out a noise of pain, falling completely on the ground, eagle spread. One of her hands curled in her white uniform, right over her heart, and through the material, she could feel a thrumming, blazing energy gathering under her finger tips.

And for the first time in a long while, Alexis felt afraid.

* * *

" Fuck." Jaden snarled, grabbing a hold and Jesse's wrist and pulling him forward."

" What?"

" We have to hurry."

* * *

Wrong.

This was wrong.

With a certainty beyond all doubt she knew it; the knowledge rang clear like a battle cry, hardened her bones and forcing her eyes open. She crawled up to her hands and knees, her whole body suddenly aching, the fire no longer remotely comforting, but alive, trying to boil her blood and sear her skin and look at the world through her eyes. She looked at all the bright colours, the furious, pounding in her head an echo of her desperate heart, and let the scream she'd been holding back rip out of her throat.

Almost immediately, cool fingers pressed to her temples, and the pounding died down just enough for her to open her eyes again.

There, against the back drop of colours so bright they were nearly white, mercifully muted and darkened, was the figure of a lithe young girl in a translucent pink tutu, her green eyes wide and sad.

Alexis' breath caught.

_'__**monsterspirit**__ichoseyoualexislet'sstaytogetherokaymynameis__**CyberTutuandiamyours-**_

The figure leaned down, whispering nonsensical whirring noises even as Alexis' aching head tried to turn them into words.

" I know you." She croaked, her throat dry.

The figure (spirit?) nodded. Alexis noticed a cut, almost healed on her cheek. An aching, desperate sadness welled up inside of her, even as the burning tried to sear it away. Her shaking hand reached up, and her fingers brushed the cut and –

_It took about half a second for his words to register in her mind. Horrified, she turned to look at her Cyber Tutu, who was still looking down and clenching her fists. The pink bangs fell into her face, and something gave way in Alexis' heart. It had been hard enough to watch her Cyber Blader (her powerful, awesome Cyber Blader, whom she emulated and admired) bite the dust, but her Cyber Tutu was another matter all together. The delicate, perky little dancer had always held a special place in Alexis' heart, because, while she might never be the strongest card Alexis had at her disposal, she would always be the pluckiest, the perkiest, the one that would always appear on the field, by luck or the Heart, whenever Alexis needed her._

_" No…not my Tutu…" She whispered, and reached out her hand, feeling tears prick at her eyes as she imagined watching her beloved favourite card being smashed to pieces by Titan's horrific Picador Fiend. She reached the arm of the hologram, and carefully wrapped her fingers around it, trying very hard to let them slip through and ruin the illusion._

_Cyber Tutu's head snapped up as Alexis closed her hand over the monster's arm, and on her face was a set, determined frown. She pushed back against the card she was standing on, and, for the half second before she went careening out to face the hideous monster Titan had sent to dispose of her, Alexis swore the arm in her grasp pulsed warm and heavy and __**real**__**.**_

Alexis trembled as the memory flooded her, her hand falling away. The spirit caught it, and pressed it against her cheek, rubbing gently against it, making happy whirring noises. Alexis strived to hear them more clearly, to imprint them into her brain so that she could find some way to translate them.

" I _know _you." She said more insistently, even as the pain tried to push the memory from her mind. Flashing lights and calls to battle and a fury the likes of which she'd never known, coursing through her stronger and better than the heat she felt now. The spirit nodded, and used its other hand to cup the blonde girl's cheek.

_**seetheLight**_-

And in between all the whirrs and cooes that made no sense, Alexis heard one, wonderfully familiar sound.

' _Alexis_.' The spirit breathed, and the floodgate that the heat had been trying to hold back burst open with the all the rage of spurned god.

'-

' _**I'll never let you burn.'**_

Alexis' head was thrown back in a gasp, and to her shock, she felt two tears, one from each eye, run down her face. The colours behind the figure muted just a little, and the hand on her cheek pulsed with life.

Alexis felt a pained smile come up onto her face, even as the voice in her head shouted at her to stop.

" Cyber Tutu." She murmured, and the smile her monster spirit gave her rivalled the sun rising behind them.

And whirrs suddenly made sense, even through the pain.

' _I'm going to save you._'

* * *

" Motherfucker!" Jaden swore, and stopped running down the hallway. Jesse stumbled as the other boy skidded to a halt, a look that was half fury and half fear on his face.

" What is it?" He asked, turning around to look at Jaden. The rising sun glinted off his tanned skin and made his eyes look darker under the shadows of his bangs. Jesse shivered at the sight, and would've wondered why if he hadn't been so throw off kilter by his friend's behaviour.

Jaden didn't seem to have heard him.

" Avion! Neos! Burst!" He called, his voice cracking. There were several flashes of light, Avion whirling into being in a storm of feathers, Burstinatrix arriving in the flickers of red light Jesse'd seen the day before yesterday, and Neos' form seeming to slide into the space, leaving the extraterrestrial looking like he'd always been there.

' _Yes?_' He said, but there was an edge in his tone. Jaden looked wildly at him, and Jesse was surprised to see his brown eyes gleaming with tears.

" The Red Dorm. You have to go there. Something...I can feel it. I don't know how but I _can_." Jaden stuttered, looking at his monsters pleadingly. " Something's going wrong and I can't get there in time. Please, please."

If Jaden didn't know exactly what he was asking, it was all right, because his monsters seemed to, and the next second Avion and Neos had vanished, a rush of power coursing through the air by Jesse's ear. He staggered back, leaning against the wall. Burstinatrix gave him a long, hard look.

' _Look after him._' She jerked her head towards Jaden, and made to leave.

" Wait!" Jesse held up his hand. The fire monster paused, an aura of red still gathered around her.

" Cat. Topaz." Jesse paused to catch his breath for a moment. " Both of you, go with her. Help any way you can."

Amethyst Cat shimmered and leaned back on her haunches, her brother doing the same beside her.

' _As you wish._'

Topaz nodded to the still panicked Jaden, his large eyes softening.

'_We'll protect the girl, we promise._' He turned to Jesse, who gave him an encouraging smile.

" Be careful."

Topaz nodded, turning back to where Burstinatrix was vanishing in a flash of crimson and Cat was dissolving into a shimmering cloud. He started to fade too.

' _We will_.'

And the same power rushed past Jesse again, this time with only slightly more familiar tinge of his monsters brushing his skin, almost like a caress. He breathed in, and out deeply, and turned to where Jaden was leaning against the wall, pale, sweating, and scared.

" Jaden." He whispered, but Jaden pushed past him his voice surprisingly even when he spoke.

" C'mon, they'll be able to hold it off for a while, but we need to get to them as soon as possible."

* * *

The second Cyber Tutu's fingers pressed against her heart, the heat rushed up and tried to push her back. Alexis felt it do so, racing through her body and scorching everything it touched. She whined with pain, her back arching slightly, and flashes of things exploded behind her closed eyes.

Chazz, dressed in white and showing her his hand and she couldn't win, even though she knew every move he could make.

Sartorius, his hair fanning out behind him and a fanatical, fanged grin on his face, welcoming her into the fold, his white jacket seeming to glow as he congratulated her on seeing the Light.

Zane, dark and brooding and hot as a brand of iron against her, pulling down, his hair blowing in the chilled breeze wafting off the ocean, hauling her to him, holding her tight, lips on her brow, soothing and soft and not like him at all, his eyes looking at her with something that could've been love once upon a time and whispering nonsense words into her ear when she cried-

The heat pushed harder and harder, trying to force its way out of her chest, trying to shatter her ribs and make her back bend over itself and one last scream tearing out of her mouth even as it was gutted up with blood, spilling dark ribbons down her pale (too pale, it was too pale) flesh and the air rushing dead in her ear and maybe it was her heart that was doing this, her own, traitorous, weak heart that had succumbed to-

An arm wrapped around her shoulder, chanting filling her ears, and she let herself be pulled back just a little bit. She turned her head, the motion a chore, and looked into green eyes and red lips and skin that had almost a blueish tinge to it. The lips pulled back in a friendly smile, and Alexis felt her traitor of a heart leap into her throat.

' _Don't be afraid._' The voice was commanding and strong. Alexis leaned closer, trying to draw on the confidence that emanated from the body next to her. She felt fingers pressed more solidly against her heart. ' _It feeds on fear and doubt. Believe that you cannot be taken and you won't be._'

" It...hurts..." Alexis moaned, her back arching even more. There were more flashes behind her eyes, cards she didn't use and people she didn't like and mocking a poor boy who was only trying to tell her that he cared and what was wrong with her, she wasn't like that, was she...

The green eyes softened, and Alexis thought of Yasmin, brave and strong, even as she lay in Atticus' arms, dying.

Atticus.

An image of him too, punching him so hard he bruised, sending him spiralling into the dirt, hurting him, throwing ugly words at him, not knowing if she could save him, not _wanting_ to save him, oh god, what had it done to her?

' _I know._' The woman whispered again. ' _And that's because you're stronger than It. It wants to make you weak so It hurts you, to break you._'

" ...It...made me...hurt...people..." Alexis choked, the last word breaking around a scream as the fingers pulled back, and something came with them, the heat actually breaking through her skin.

Another flash of light.

Lia's sad eyes.

The sound of skin meeting skin.

A reddened cheek and more ugly words and things she would never say and promises she would never break and no, that wasn't her, she'd never hurt Lia like that, she'd never want to, make it stop, she didn't like it, she wanted it _out_-

' _You are stronger than It._' The woman whispered in her ear. '_So It wants to break you._'

And Alexis, through all her pain and all the heat and all the messed up memories that were slowly seeping out of her and slipping through the tentative grasp she had on them, finally felt another feeling besides despair and helplessness.

She got angry.

With a vicious push of her own, she slammed everything she was against the heat by her heart, forcing it upwards towards Cyber Tutu's grasping hands. Her back curved into a reverse-C and every nerve ending screeched in pain and spots started to dance in front of her eyes, but she kept the pressure strong, fury flooding her veins in the heat's wake and filling her with a different kind of warmth.

" Get out." She snarled through gritted teeth. " You're done playing and you're done pulling the strings and I want you out!"

The heat tried to push back.

" I'm done with this crap! I won't let you hurt my friends anymore, and I won't let you use my body like your toy and I won't ever let you touch my spirit again, you understand me? Now you. _Get. __**The **__**hell! OUT!**_"

The arm around her tightened, and Alexis felt her whole body surge with power, ripping out the claws that the heat (Light of Destruction, Light of Ruin, _Exitium_) had dug into her. Maybe she was bleeding and maybe some part of her was dying, somewhere inside of her, or maybe it was all of her, but none of that mattered because it was out, it was gone, and she, after so long, was _free_.

Alexis collapsed onto the ground, two shadows jumping in front of her with feral roars as a bright ball of white light shot upwards, curling over itself in fury. In the distant, she thought she could hear Jaden calling her name, but her senses were worn to the bone, almost dead to the world. Her very bones felt tired and keeping her eye lids open was more of a chore than she cared to think about. She let them drift shut.

The last thing she saw was the image of Zane's face, flushing lightly and open and adoring, smiling at her like she was the most beautiful thing that had ever been created. Then it was blotted out by a flicker of light, and everything went dark.

* * *

Sorry for the extreme delay. Essays and...more essays. I know it's no excuse, but hey, I'm paying over $6000 a year to get this degree, so I might as well get my money's worth, right? I'll have chapter 40 up very soon. But here is the conclusion that I think you've all be waiting for. And yes, as you can clearly see, this is the second time I've bypassed the obligatory duel. As for Bastion, weeellll, I'm still working on that, but I kinda like how the show did it. What can I say, I liked watching Bastion being a bit of a free spirit, edited on boxers or no.

Anywho, I'll see you all very soon.

MoS


	41. Passing Time

Warnings: Omigod. Did I...Did I just write something kinda _fluffy_? ...Run, the end is coming! Armageddon is nigh!

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_.

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

Mindy's parents were strict.

She was their only child, something that didn't come up very much, and something she hadn't really thought about until she'd met her friends, and found out they had heaps of siblings back home. (Well, not Lia; Mindy knew another 'lonely child' when she saw one. But sometimes, in her quiet, more unguarded moments, Lia talked about Estelle and Jacqueline and Claude, and Mindy had her suspicions about them.) Alexis even had a brother on campus that she could annoy and get mad at and turn to when the going got tough, and because Mindy adored Alexis, she tried very hard not to be jealous.

But Mindy was her parents' precious only, and she'd grown up with very strict rules about what she could, and couldn't do.

It had started small, with the usual things.

Look twice before crossing the street. Don't run with scissors. Don't go with strange people. Easy things, kid stuff. Mindy obeyed it all, because she loved her parents, and she knew they loved her. As she got older, some of the rules changed, but the intent behind them, to keep her safe, stayed the same.

Don't stay out after dark. Don't ride your bike without a helmet. Always tell someone where you're going. Keep your cellphone on so we can contact you. Mindy listened and Mindy did the things her parents asked, even when the other kids at her school called her a sissy and a baby for always listening to them, and wearing a helmet even when it didn't look cool. That was how she'd met Jasmine. They'd gone to the same elementary school, and Jasmine had given a guy a bloody nose the fifth time he'd made fun of Mindy. They'd been friends ever since.

Mindy's parents liked Jasmine. Her family was a business associate of theirs, and they got to see each other outside of school with little difficulty. Friday nights became Sleepover Nights, and it wasn't until Mindy got a little older that it became a problem.

Not with Jasmine, of course. Her parents knew Jasmine really well.

But when Mindy turned eleven, and started carpooling with Jasmine and her brother Evan to school, one of the girls in her class had a huge sleepover, and she invited both girls. Mindy remembered that she didn't know the other girl too well, but she'd been so excited about being invited to a sleepover that involved more than just her and Jasmine that she hadn't cared. She'd raced to her mother's study as soon as Evan had dropped her off, and presented the invitation, rosy cheeked, and already planning what clothes to pack and movies to bring.

Unfortunately, her parents hadn't been quite as eager as she was.

" _Mindy, sweetie, we don't really __**know**__ this girl. Your father and I aren't really sure about this whole thing."_

In the end, they'd forbidden her from going.

That had been the start of a long list of rules that started to crop up as Mindy approached her teen years. They were less reasonable than the ones she'd adhered to in her early childhood, and try as she might, she could neither understand them, nor get her parents to bend them enough for her to.

Don't stay out after dark. (_" But the movie ends at nine! And Carrie's mom is picking us up!" " I don't want you out that late."_)

Always have your cellphone turned on. (_" But I'm just gonna be a few streets over!" " Well, we want to be able to contact you in case you need to come home in a hurry."_)

Tell us _exactly_ where you're going, and who you're going with. (_" It's just by the park, the old well." " Are you sure you should be hanging around somewhere like that? Whose idea was this anyway?" " Sharon and Marcus. Marc's brother hangs out there all the time, it's totally safe..." " I thought your mother and I said we didn't want you hanging around those two anymore." " But Dad! They're my friends." " We don't like them. Call Jasmine and tell her she's going without you."_)

And, even worse, when she'd started to take an interest in boys, the rules had tightened to the point where Mindy felt suffocated.

_Don't stay out after dark with a boy._

_What? You're going out with him? I don't think so._

_No. I don't want you in that part of town._

_No._

_Not him._

_I don't think so._

_No, Mindy, honey._

_No._

_**No.**_

It became an endless parade of negative answers, until Mindy was so strangled and frustrated that she'd finally struck back, sneaking out of the house when she was sure her parents were out and going to a party with Jasmine. It'd been a graduation party, and Mindy remembered some of the braver kids trying to be cool by drinking beer. Mindy had wrinkled her nose and pulled Jasmine away from the crowd, arguing that the redhead would have plenty of time to do stupid things in high school. She'd gotten on the dance floor and danced with three different boys, laughing and smiling and giddy with the adrenaline that came with disobeying her parents.

Of course all the good feelings had evaporated as soon as she'd gotten home and found her parents waiting for her. The shouting match that followed made Mindy very happy that her house was big enough for the servants to be in a totally different section, and therefore couldn't hear the Bedau's going at like a band of harpies.

Her parents had yelled at her for more things than she could remember. For sneaking out, for not telling them where she was going, for not telling them who she was with, for being at the party when they'd s_pecifically_ told her that they didn't want her going, for worrying them. And despite the guilt that had been rising in her gut, Mindy had fought back, pointing out that she was the only person not going to the party, that she was the only person who couldn't go to movies that ended after sunset, that she was the only one whose parents didn't trust her enough to let her have fun.

And that was when her parents had uttered those damning words.

" _Mindy, it's not that we don't trust you. But what if something had happened? You're only a __**girl**__. Who knows what might've happened to you."_

And that, in the end, was what it came down to. Mindy was a girl. She was weaker than boys and could be physically hurt more easily. She could be manipulated and taken advantage of. The world was an ugly place and Mindy was such a sweetheart that it was going to rip her limb from limb if her parents didn't try to protect her from it. They harboured the same, choking fear that Zane had about Syrus, but Mr. And Mrs. Bedau had gone about protecting their charge completely differently. Instead of hurting her, they'd locked Mindy up in a golden cage and treated her like she was a glass doll that could break at any moment.

Mindy didn't know until later that her mother stayed up late, watching the news, hearing about all the girls who had been kidnapped and raped and murdered, and seeing her daughter's face in the pictures they flashed on the screen. She didn't know that her father read the articles in the newspaper about the disappearance of yet another girl, and saw her name in the printed words. She didn't know her mother had had two miscarriages before her until much later, and was so afraid of losing her third baby that she'd rather Mindy was locked in a cage, unhappy but safe, than free and in danger.

Mindy had tried to defy it, but every day, her parents had found little ways to hammer the points home. When she played soccer in gym class, the boys always ran faster, kicked harder, and scored more goals. When she raced Jasmine's brothers in their backyard, they always won. When she watched Tyler fall out of the maple tree in her own backyard and broke his arm, and Jasmine had to ride with him to the hospital in the ambulance, Mindy somehow knew that, if she'd been the one with the broken arm, she'd never have been as brave and dry eyed as Tyler had been.

Little by little, she began to believe her parents, and started to think that, maybe, because she was a girl, she couldn't do the things boys could.

Then she'd come to Duel Academy.

She'd been so scared, that first day. Of course, she had Jasmine, but they had another girl in their room, someone who'd gone through the prep school same as them, but in an entirely different country. Alexis had arrived with Atticus in tow, making him carry most of her luggage. She'd been bright and beautiful, and Mindy had known, in that instant, that she would do anything to be friends with Alexis Rhodes.

It'd been easy.

Alexis was likeable and cool. She got along well with Jasmine and Mindy, starting a conversation about cards and the classes they'd all taken, and before any of them knew what was happening, they were comparing schedules and helping Alexis put away her clothes and talking about going down to the poster sale and finding some things to put on the drab walls of their room.

What Mindy liked best about Alexis was the fact that the girl challenged everything Mindy thought she knew. Alexis was a Duelist first, and a girl second, and it went against everything Mindy had learned growing up. Alexis played with the big boys and more often than not, beat them, because she was as tough as any boy, as strong as any boy, and as ready to get dirty as any boy. Mindy was willing to bet that Alexis was one of those girls who'd played in the mud when they were little, and came home with their pretty dressed ruined. Mindy was pretty sure Alexis would've grinned about it too.

Mindy wished she could be strong like Alexis. She wished could look her parents in the eye and say ' Just because I'm a girl, it doesn't mean I'm limited.'. She wished she could look in the mirror and see more than 'just a girl'. Mindy wished a lot of things.

Didn't mean they were coming true.

She didn't know why she'd let the Maitre D' challenge her. She wasn't even sure what she was doing in the GX tournament in the first place. Alexis was gone, Jasmine was mad at her, and Lia was hurt and in pain, and once again, Mindy hadn't been there to help anybody. She felt weak and useless and wondered if, maybe, her parents had been right. Maybe she was only a girl, no matter what Alexis said. Maybe she was only a girl, and that meant she couldn't do much.

" Mademoiselle." The man with the dark hair in a ponytail purred, smirking at her. " Are y' going to duel or not?"

" I..." Mindy muttered, a cold lump settling into the pit of her stomach. There were so many things she wanted to say, so many thoughts she wanted to express, but they got clogged up in the back of her throat, stopped by the words that echoed in her head, and made her doubt herself.

" _You're just a girl."_

(" No I'm not!" She wanted to shout. " I'm so much more than that! I'm a Duelist too! See these cards? I use them to play a game with people. I play with people, and when we play, there is no gender, no girl or boy. All there are are two Duelists throwing down. There'll be a winner and there'll be a loser, and maybe later there'll be harsh words, or good sportsmanship, but the second the duel starts, I stop being just a girl!

" I'm a friend too! I'm Lexi's friend and Jasmine's friend and Lia's friend too! I hang out with boys, and sometimes, I feel like I'm one of them, like I'm not just a girl, but a person too, and they don't treat me like I'm gonna break if I so much as trip. I'm friends with them because they let me fall, and they let me trip, and they let me make my own mistakes, and if I get hurt, then it's my own fault and I'll learn from it, but if I get into trouble and I need them, they'll come! 'Cause it' not about being a girl or a boy. It's about being there for each other! It's about helping each other through tough times and protecting one another any way we can! I don't have to be a boy in order to protect the people I care about. I just have to be able to love them with all my heart and use that to make me strong enough!

" I'm me too, before I'm a girl! I'm Minna Abigail Bedau, and I'm not defined by my gender. I'm defined by how I treat others. I'm defined by how deeply I love my friends. I'm defined by how I act in the face of danger. My courage, my loyalty, my strength; _those_ are the things that define me, and they have nothing to do with my gender. I could be a boy, and I'd still treat people with respect, still want to look after my friends, and still feel scared when I come up against an opponent, but want to stand my ground nonetheless. That's what makes me, me! None of that would change if I'd been born a guy!

" I'm so much more than just a girl! Why can't you see that? Why can't you let _me _see that?"

But the words didn't come. They stayed at the back of her throat and the back of her mind, twisting in an endless loop she couldn't bring herself to turn off, even if, in the end, it was all lies. But she wanted to believe them so bad that some days, she was almost ready to take the chance...)

" Eets a shame." The man gave her a condescending look, shaking his head. " I suppose I will simply haf to find anuzzer opponent. After all, dueling me is a man's job."

Something in Mindy snapped at his words.

(Alexis had gone up against boys , and won, taken them down off their high horses like they were nothing at all._ She always smiled like she could take on the world._)

(Jasmine had scrapped with the boys on the playground before, coming back messy and roughed up, but leaving a few bloody noses in her wake. _She always looked so exhilarated as she wiped dirt off her face or used a tissue to dab at her split lip._)

(Lia took on anyone, regardless of gender, who gave her crap, and didn't cower behind the fact that she was a girl. _She always walked away, win or lose, with her head held high, as if daring anyone to question her reasons for being proud of herself._)

Just once, Mindy wanted to be brave. She wanted to be able to stand next to her friends, and be at their level. She wanted to be able to look in the mirror and see more than just a girl. She wanted to believe the words that got stuck in the back of her throat and played in the back of her head.

Just once, she wanted to be more than just a girl.

Her duel disk clicked as it activated. With a glare, she shoved her cards into the slot, the Maitre D' turning around and raising one eyebrow at her.

" Oui?" He asked, looking bored. Anger made her eyes narrow and her finger itched to sic her monsters on the man.

" Where do you think you're going, huh?" Her lifepoint counter set itself to 4000. Her heart started thundering. A smirk rose to her lips.

' I'm more than just a girl.'

" We're dueling, right now. And I'm gonna kick your ass for that last comment." Her lips moved of their own accord, and before she could stop them, she felt them form a very Lia-esque comment.

" Jackass."

* * *

Alexis was in the hospital too.

The grand total, as far as Lia was concerned, was her for her bruises, Chazz for his strange burns, Jaden for his exhaustion (doubly now, given that he'd gone out that morning in a flurry of panicked movements, and Jesse Anderson had all but dragged him back), and now Alexis, for her coma-like state and burn marks as well.

" I wonder if this is what everybody went through, last year." Lia said to no one in particular. The infirmary was quiet. Jaden had snuck out with Chazz and Syrus a little while ago to duel some guy called Lucien that Chazz claimed to remember from North Academy. Lia could only assume that, had he been there when the idea had been hatched, Jesse would've gone with them. He seemed unusually attached to Jaden, but Lia supposed it could be chalked up to Jaden's amazing charisma working its usual charm.

" What do ya mean?" Lia jumped a little, and glanced over her shoulder to where Aster was sitting by one of the beds, his cards spread out , not looking up from them. He'd been so quiet that Lia's forgotten that he was even in the room. She flushed a little, and looked back out the window, watching the dark water of the ocean without really seeing it.

" It's nothing."

" C'mon, you can tell me." He coaxed, sounding perfectly at ease. Lia envied him that.

" I was in a bit of a coma last year." She finally said, if only to break the comfortable silence that had settled in between them. It still scared her, how easily she could slip into the familiar ease of friendship with Aster. She blamed it on Jaden, who'd made her open her heart so much she was pretty sure she could never fully close it again, even if she tried.

One of the cards slipped and hit the floor. Lia hid a smile.

" How did _that _happen?" She could feel Aster's eyes on the back of her head.

" Dunno. I just was in one. It lasted about two weeks." She closed her eyes, remembering a murky bubble and Chazz calling her by her first name for the first time she could remember. She fought the urge to glance over at the bed he'd been laying. Lia'd been asleep when Chazz had finally come to, but from what she'd heard from Jessica and Miriam when they'd come to drop off her homework (she was missing an awful lot of class, but Miss Fontaine insisted on keeping her in the infirmary until the woman was sure Lia wasn't going to remember what had happened to her), he'd been his normal, angry self, had demanded his dark clothes back, and had no memory of what had been going on for the past few months. Lia couldn't wait to talk to him again.

" When I woke up, I didn't even realized any time had passed. I thought it was the morning after. I was so surprised when they told me it was two weeks later." She laughed through her nose.

" I can imagine."

" Hey." She turned away from the window to look at him. Aster glanced up from his cards to show he was listening, and then went back to restructuring his deck. Lia smiled, not sure why, and rest her head against the palm of her hand, her elbow propped up on the window sill. She was in a pair of loose white sweatpants and a faded blue T-shirt with a phrase in French scrawled across it in stylized black letters. Her hair hung loose over her shoulder, and she had to blow her bangs out of her eyes so she could see.

" How come you're here? Are you even allowed to be?"

" What Miss Fontaine doesn't know won't hurt her."

Lia wanted to laugh and did, even though it made her throat ache a little. It'd been so long since she'd had a reason to laugh, she couldn't bear to repress even one anymore.

" Sneaky little prick, ain't you?" She grinned lazily to let him know she meant it as compliment. " But that doesn't explain what you're doing here."

" Someone's gotta protect you."

A strange feeling rose in her chest at the omission. Aster bent more over his cards, but if she looked harder, she could see a sprinkling of pink across his cheeks and nose, and the feeling sent little warm curls over her body. Aster had taken off his jacket and loosened his tie, and, sitting there in the pale pants and black shirt, white and blue tie dangling around his neck, Lia decided that he made a nice enough picture to look at.

" And you think it's you?"

" I _am_ a hero." He grinned roguishly at her and for a second, looked so much like Atticus that she had to laugh again.

" You calling me a damsel in distress?"

Aster snorted.

" Spitfire like you? A damsel? Never." He put another card down. " But you seem to have a habit of getting yourself into trouble, and someone's gotta stay around to make sure you don't go tumbling outta that window."

" Slim chance of that." She turned back around, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she did so, and looked out at the dark ocean again.

" Hey." This time, she didn't turn around to look at him.

" Yeah?"

" How come your hair's down?"

She twirled one stray curl around her finger.

" Is it a big deal?"

" You never really have your hair down. The only other time I've seen it like this was after...you had a shower." He tactfully avoided mentioning his breakdown in the rain. Lia looked at the cascade of curls falling down over her shoulder, and shrugged.

" I just haven't had the energy to braid it back up."

There was a pause, and Lia heard him put more cards down on the sheets.

" Want me to do it for you?"

The offer came out of nowhere. Lia whipped around in her seat, eyes wide. Aster had out the rest of his cards down and his hands were free, hanging at his sides as he looked at her sheepishly. She opened her mouth to refuse, but he glanced at her from under his bangs and he looked so hopeful and childlike she couldn't say no. It wouldn't be so bad, she figured. It might be strange, given that Aster was a boy, but she got the feeling that for all his good social graces and polite manners, Aster had very few friends, and didn't know how to act around people his own age who weren't his opponents. He was probably just reaching out to her in any way he could, and Lia, who'd not only been in that position, but struggled with the same demons every day, couldn't bring herself to deny him such a little gesture.

" Sure." She said, and was reward by a radiant smile.

" Great." He tried to tone down his enthusiasm." Just hop up on the bed."

Lia almost gave him a suspicious eye, but told herself to stop being stupid. She crawled up onto the mattress and sat facing the opposite wall, in a cross legged position, her hands clasped on her touching ankles. She felt the bed dip behind her as Aster climbed on, and then there was a hot body at her back, and deft fingers started combing through her hair.

Lia gulped, and tried to calm herself down. She'd been that close to Jaden before, when he hugged her or when he was looking her over for injuries and fussing about her, and she'd been that close to Syrus, when he needed comfort or just wanted to feel someone next to him, but somehow, it was different when it was Aster. She was acutely aware of him behind her. Every breath he took made his chest brush against her back, and little nerves danced at it did so. She could feel the heat radiating off of him, and it made her cheeks flush. There was something familiar about the feelings that his proximity awoke in her, but before she could put her finger on it, Aster started talking.

" You have such pretty hair." He complimented, pulling his fingers through the curls, gently tugging out the tangles. Lia blushed a little more at the compliment. Aster's fingers were working over her hair, not actually braiding but combing, tugging, and sending little jolts down her scalp that were making her spine start to turn into mush.

" Mmm...thanks." She scooted a little closer as he tugged. " You're good at this."

" Used to braid my mom's hair before she left."

" That was nice of you."

" It was the only time I could stand to be around her. Most of the time, she was yelling at my dad, and well."

" You worshipped your dad and wouldn't hear a word against him." Lia gave a contented little whimper and Aster separated her hair into three strands. He almost dropped one, but she assumed he was a little put off about talking about his mother.

" S-So." Make that a lot put off. " Speaking of moms, does yours know about this?"

" Yeah...mmm..." Lia tilted her head back, the crown of it touching his chin, as Aster started braiding at the top. She heard him give a sharp intake of breath, and moved away a little. " Sorry. Did I bump you in the face or something."

" No. No, it's okay. You, uh...you can move back." He sounded a little disoriented. Maybe he was tired. " It's, uh..."

" Easier to reach?" She supplied as she shuffled back. Aster made a noise of affirmation, and went back to braiding.

" So. Your mom. How'd she take it?"

" She fussed and berated me for about fifteen minutes, and then totally switched her tune and told me that Gauvin had proposed." Lia breathed through her nose.

" Gauvin, that's your mom's boyfriend, right?"

" Fiancé, now. Husband, when July rolls around."

" Wow, that's only five months away."

" Mom got divorced when I was five. That's ten years of my grandmother harping on her to get married again. At least she's marrying a 'good, strong Frenchman' this time."

" What was wrong with your dad?"

" For starters, he was an American. Grandmama did _not_ approve."

" You don't sound too happy about this." Aster gave another little tug, and then brought his hand up to smooth out the top of her head and pull the excess hair into the braid. He raked his nails along the top of her scalp, and Lia's spine completely gave out. She sank back against Aster, smiling stupidly, and let her eyes flutter closed in pleasure. She missed the way his face went red as she fell into him, her head tucked into the spot between his neck and shoulder. Farther down the braid, his fingers twitched, and then continued.

" It's just...I'm lying in a hospital bed, hurt, and she manages to make it all about her. Like it doesn't even matter that I nearly got strangled. Maman's so used to death and destruction I think she's totally desensitized to it. I could get shipped home in pieces and I don't think she'd bat an eyelash."

" Aw, c'mon. I'm sure she loves you." Aster looked around for a hair tie. " It's just hard to watch one of your parents get remarried. I know it was hell watching my mom marrying her new husband."

" Hey Aster?" Lia asked, so comfortable that she didn't care that her voice came out a little dreamy. " How come your mom doesn't have custody of you?"

Behind her, she felt him stiffen.

" She and her husband got into a car accident about seven months after they got married." Aster finished tying her hair back with a bright red hair band he'd spied on her bedside table. " No survivors."

Lia turned around, leaning against his chest. Aster flushed, but Lia didn't noticed, melancholy swimming in her eyes.

" Sorry to bring up such a painful memory."

Aster shrugged, but it was pained.

" I got over it. I kinda had to. After that, it was just me and Dad. I didn't have to go see Mom every other weekend. For while, I didn't get why, and I was just happy that I could stay with my Dad all the time. When I got a little older, I figured it out, but by then, my Mom was just a faded memory." He smiled softly. " Sarina's my Mom, really. She raised me, even after The D adopted me."

" The D?"

" My legal guardian. He's been the top ranking duelist on the pro-circuit for ten years now."

Lia gave him a long look, trying to see if he was faking the smile. When he tilted his head to the side in confusion, she realized she'd been staring, and looked away.

" What?" He asked. Lia shook her head.

" It's just that...the more I get to know you, the more I think I like you." She reached up and patted his cheek. " You're actually not a bad guy at all. You're a good guy."

She pushed off the bed, not even noticing that Aster had gone completely red in the face and was looking at her like she'd hung the moon. When she turned back, he'd managed to tone the look of adoration down to one of affectionate surprise.

" And you can braid my hair any time you want." She added, fingering the loose coil of hair that she'd hooked over her shoulder. Aster's answering grin made something inside her jump and swoon, but Lia ignored it, too tired and too happy with the way things were to try and give it a name.

* * *

And there it is, folks. The background of Mindy's little 'Because we're girls' comment. 'Minna' is a Teutonic name, and means 'loving memory'. Some of the names in the dub really don't sound like real names (but hey, at least they made some of them start with the same letter as the original). A part of Mindy's last name in Japanese (Hamaguchi) means 'exorcism'. Beddau means graveyard according to the site I use for my last names, so I thought it would be appropriate. Speaking of names, just wait until I get to show you what I think Chazz's REAL name should be. I had fun with that one.

And, for your reading pleasure, an attempt at fluff. Aster, baby, and Lia, darling, you two can be so CUTE when you're not out to kill each other.

Aster: What's this 'each other' business? I've been nothing but friendly. _She's_ the one with the murder fetish.

Lia: Get bent and drop dead.

Aster: You see. Murder fetish.

Lia: I'll show YOU a fetish.

Ah, Lia honey...?

Aster: I wish you would, babe. I _really_ wish you would.

Lia: Pervers!

Aster: Oh, say something else, babe. You sound sexy when you speak French.

Lia: I'm gonna jam those Destiny Heroes down your fucking throat, you sonovabitch!

Aster: Try it, sweetie. We both know you just want your hands on any part of me you can get.

Aster?

Aster: Ya-huh?

Don't push it.

Aster: Yes Ma'am.

And Lia-Oh god, would you put the claymore DOWN?

Aster: *cough* murderfetish *cough*

Not helping. Where did you even get that?

Lia: Prop house armoury.

...We have an armoury?

Lia: Well, given the events in Year Three, I'd say we need one.

You're not supposed to know about that!

Lia: I read the script for the first bit of the Dark World arc. Of course I know about 'that'.

...Wait, just the Dark World arc? Not what coems before?

Lia: No. ...Why, what comes before?

...Oh would you look at the time, I have drabbles to write, will you all excuse me bye!

Lia: Hey! HEY! You get back here an explain yourself, you anthropological freak!

Aster: Babe, this is her world. She can warp if she wants to. Let it go.

Lia: Don't you start with me!

Aster: I'd like to get something start with y-

Lia: Finish that sentence, and this blade and your dick will get imtimately acquainted.

Aster:...Oh, you so set that one up on purpose! How am I suppose to resist an opening like that?

Lia: Have a little self-restraint, jackass.

Aster: Why do I find you threatening me so attractive? This can't be healthy.

Lia: You say something?

Aster: Not a thing. More to the point, I think it's time we bid this nice people goodbye, don't you think?

Lia: ...What the-! Are you people still here? Don't you have lives? Get going!

Aster: What she means to say is, thank you so much for reading, and we'll see you soon.

Lia: Suck up.

Aster: I prefer 'sociable'. You know, that thing where you can interact positively with other people?

Lia: You are this close, Phoenix. THIS close.

Aster: How'd you like to get a little closer?

Lia: Sword!

Aster: Alright, alright, fine. You need to lighten up, babe. All this stress is gonna give you wrinkles.

Lia: I hate you.

Aste: No you don't. Now come on. I'll buy you dinner.

Lia: I don't want to have dinner with you.

Aster: C'mon, babe, please? I promise I'll behave. No teasing or flirting or anything.

Lia: ...Fine. But only 'cause I'm hungry and I don't want to wait.

Aster: ...You're so cute when you're in denial.

Lia: What?

Aster: Lead on, m'lady.

Lia: Weirdo.


	42. Changing Hands

Warnings: Um, Jaden being...Jaden?

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_.

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

Jaden hadn't known it was going to be one of _those_ days, but, looking up a strangely apologetic looking Sartorius, he supposed that he might've well as guessed.

The problem with being Jaden Yuki was that he had a reputation for being a hero. He was the guy people went to when they'd run out of options and needed someone to rise up to the challenge presented before them. He was the guy people looked to in tough times, waiting for his okay to go ahead with a dangerous plan or his permission to engage whatever enemy they happened to be fighting in a last ditch battle. Jaden was a hero, putting it simply, and people tended to depend on him to save the day.

Not that he didn't like helping people. Jaden loved it. He loved being able to protect people and look after them, and have them come to him and need him instead of shunning him. He liked being the hero, because he'd spent so long being the misunderstood villain in his childhood, and it was nice to have people believe in him rather than running away.

But the problem was that, more often than not, the responsibility, whatever it was, fell to him.

That was why when he opened his eyes to find a strange haze over everything, and a sad-looking Sartorius in his room, Jaden took it in stride.

" Oh boy." He muttered, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. " Gimme a sec."

He kicked the sheets off.

" You have lousy timing, you know that? I was having an awesome dream. There were dancing hamburgers. _Dancing hamburgers_."

Sartorius cocked a brow, and opened his mouth, but Jaden cut him off, standing.

" Yeah, yeah, I know, stop kidding around. This isn't a joke, be serious, blah, blah, blah." Jaden scowled. " It is _almost three in the morning_, and if you expect me to be peppy and cheerful at this hour, you're even crazier than I thought."

" My apologies." And the way Sartorius said it made it sound like he really meant it. The fight went out of Jaden.

" This had better be important." He grumbled, crossing his arms.

" Oh, I assure you, it is." Any other time, Jaden was certain that the words would've sounded mocking. But now, with defeat and desperation colouring his tone, Sartorius sounded more than sincere. He sounded like this was his one last hope, and if Jaden failed, then the world was doomed.

It terrified Jaden more than he could put into words that the feeling didn't faze him in the least.

" So, what's happenin'?" He tried to grin. It didn't work.

" Jaden." Sartorius said, then paused to gather his thoughts. " As you might know, I haven't...been myself for quite some time now."

" The whole card possession thing?"

" So she did tell you." The man murmured. Jaden blinked.

" Who told me?"

" Sarina."

Jaden let a small smile come up onto his face.

" Oh, the miko."

Sartorius nodded, looking like he was about to cry.

"She's been trying to reach out to me since it happened. She went so far as to digitize herself in order to watch over me, but now..." He pressed the heel of his hand against his eye, both of the oddly coloured orbs falling shut as he did so. A grimace pulled at his lips, and he looked a little paler, the hazy shroud that had fallen over everything shifting faster and faster.

" How are you here?" Jaden asked, all pretence of playfulness gone.

" I have powers of my own." Sartorius said mysteriously.

" That's probably how the Light found you."

The man gave the boy a painful look.

" I have no doubt that it sought me out for my...unusual abilities. It wouldn't be the first time they've caused me problems."

" I'm sorry. Sometimes bad things happen to good people." Jaden whispered, taking a step forward. He didn't feel intimidated by the Sartorius in front of him. In fact, he almost felt a bit of a kinship with him. This was, without a doubt, the Sartorius that Aster knew and wanted to protect. Looking at him, into his pleading eyes, Jaden thought that maybe he could understand the younger boy's zeal.

Sartorius looked up and that, and walked forward until he could hook his long fingers under Jaden's chin. He tilted the Slifer's face up, and bent down to look deeply into Jaden's eyes. Jaden felt a slight flush at the attention, but met the man's gaze determinedly. A strange, feeling, like a finger carefully prodding at his thoughts, filled his head, probing into his memories. Flashes of his childhood passed over his eyes behind his lids, which had drifted closed before he had realized it.

_Duels, without the holograms or the duel disks, on table tops with friends._

_Osamu-nii-chan, smiling at him, his eyes warm behind his glasses._

_Trying so hard to do something, wanting it all to stop. Wanting his friends to be okay._

_And, something else._

_Flickers of purple and silver. A card. Something about a card. Something about sacrifice and pain and endless, boundless love..._

_A figure on a card, smiling up at him..._

_He could almost see the face..._

_The name was on the tip of his tongue..._

And then Sartorius' presence retreated from his mind and the memories swirled away, lost under the veil of his subconscious. He blinked, the images fading into spots before his eyes, and when he opened them, Sartorius was looking at him fondly.

" To have overcome so much when you are so very young..." The man sighed. " It's no wonder you are a chosen one."

" Look, I don't even know what that means. I don't know what I'm supposed to do, or what you even want me to do. All I know is, Aster says that you're not the bad guy in all this, and having met that thing inside your head, I've got to agree with him. The point is-"

" You met the Light?" Sartorius interrupted, looking shocked. Jaden glared at the opposite wall.

" How do you think I got Chazz back? You think he was just handed back on a silver platter? I had to fight for him. I had to go to him, and demand him back from the Light. And you know what? I'd do it again. I'd do it a thousand times over, for every one of my friends. Because no one, not ancient spirits or evil entities or nameless gods, are gonna take them away from me. I've waited my whole life to find friends like these, and nothing, not a thing, is ever going to take them away and hurt them as long as I'm breathing!"

Jaden panted, the anger churning in his gut still winding tightly around his heart. Sartorius' eyes were wide, looking at Jaden like he'd never really seen him before. Jaden suddenly felt self-conscious. His gaze dropped and an embarrassed flush worked its way up onto his face. He was suddenly very grateful that the haze seemed to have transported them to some sort of pocket dimension. His shouting would probably have woken up a lot of people.

Sartorius smiled.

" You're very brave. And strong. Not many people can withstand the Light like you have."

" I just don't get the appeal."

" It isn't really about appeal. The Light is forceful. It takes what you think you want, and twists it around to suit Its own ends. You're friend Chazz for example."

" What? It played on his desire to win, right? Chazz said it was something like that."

" Jaden, please tell me, how did you get Chazz back?"

" How? Well uh, I'm not...I'm not actually sure. I mean, I found him and I was just so mad about what had happened to Lia..."

" Ah yes, the girl. Please, could you pass on my apologies? I would never...if I'd been myself, I'd never even have considered..."

" So it was you."

" I beg your pardon?"

" Lia...she doesn't remember anything. It's a blank. Same with Chazz. The last thing he remembers is you beating him in the forest."

" I think that perhaps, hosting the Light is highly traumatizing to the soul. His mind probably repressed his ordeal, or else he ran the risk of going insane."

" You think?"

" The Light was crushing his soul, by the end of it. I remember Its fury. Chazz refused to back down. I think he was fighting to get free even as you pulled him out."

" I knew it. Somehow, I knew it. I just told him I was proud of him, and then there was this rushing noise in my ears and I felt like...like I could see past his skin and his bones and right down to the core of him, and...and then Jesse was yanking me off of him and I knew he was okay again, and then I passed out."

" I can't understand how you managed it."

" I dunno either. I think I just got very lucky and caught It on an off day."

" Luck couldn't have done that. You have powers too, don't you?"

" What are you talking about?"

" You hid the memories instinctively from me when I looked inside you, but I saw flashes. Beasts and shadows and silver light. Just...fleeting images. Visions. But you have a gift, don't you?"

" I don't know the answer to that. I...I told...my professor last year that...that I felt like there was..._something_...asleep inside of me, and it made me feel like I was supposed to do something...more than one thing. Important things. I still don't understand it, even though I think I've been using it this year. I think that it's the reason I saved Chazz."

" Who knows? The universe works in mysterious ways. Perhaps you were meant to counter-act the Light."

" Counter-act?"

" All things exist in balance, Jaden. Man and woman, life and death, light and darkness. Just because the Light in this case is wicked doesn't mean that it doesn't have a twin out there. Maybe your part in all this is greater than even you assume."

" No offense, but could you not talk like that? You're making me nervous."

" Aster used to say the same thing when I would ramble like this. But I came here for a reason." Sartorius pulled out a small black box. " I want you to keep this." He pressed it into Jaden's hands. " You're one of the only people I can trust with this. Please, keep it safe, and no matter what happens, never give it back to me. If you have to cast it into the depths of the sea, or throw it into the volcano and melt it, please, be sure that it doesn't find its way back into my hands."

" But, what is it-?"

" Swear to me, Jaden!" Sartorius closed his hands over the boy's, forcing Jaden's fingers to curl around the box. His eyes were pleading with the Slifer, and Jaden found he didn't have it in him to refuse the man such a poignant request.

" Alright, I promise." He pressed the box to his chest. " But, Sartorius?"

" Yes?"

Jaden gave him what he hoped was an encouraging grin.

" You don't need to worry. I don't know what kind of promise you and Aster made, or if destiny or whatever doesn't want this. I can't just ignore somebody who needs help. It's not my style. It's not who I am. So I'm gonna save you, even if I only help Aster do it. One way or another, I promise I'll beat the Light of Destruction."

The look Sartorius gave him was one that Jaden could only describe as flabbergasted. His jaw hung open and his eyes were so wide that the purple irises looked more like pinpricks. Jaden gave him his usual two-fingered salute.

" I always keep my promises!"

Sartorius' smile was just a little heart-breaking.

" Thank you, Jaden, you have no idea how much that means to me..."

For some reason, he sounded distant, like he was echoing over a great space. In fact, the man seemed to be getting smaller and smaller, his figure slowly being swallowed up by the white aura around him. Jaden opened his mouth to call out to Sartorius, but the roar of distant thunder drowned out his voice. A cold wind whipped around him and stung his face. Something hard and gritty filled his hand, and he had to hurry to close his fingers around it as the world dropped out from under him. He opened his mouth to call out for help, but something wet exploded out from between his lips again.

And then he was falling, falling, falling...

_There was white all around him._

_It was blazing in front of his eyes and so searing hot that it made his skin blister. He flinched back, trying to walk way, but the heel of his foot found nothing but empty air and he stumbled, falling to his knees. Glancing back, he gulped as he saw that all around him, wicked, threatening spikes rose up, encircling him and boxing him in, until there was just him and the whiteness in front of him. Because it wasn't all around him, like he'd thought. It was in front of him, and he'd been touching it with his hands, and it had stung, racing across the palms of his hands like a heavy whip. He'd stumbled, trying to get away. Or had he been trying to get closer? The pain was gone now, and there was a pleasant hum of warmth in his hands left in the wake of the whip crack. Or maybe it had always been there, hidden under the sting. He thought that maybe he could endure the sting to feel the warmth. He wanted to try again. His hands didn't look blistered anymore. In fact, they looked sturdier, somehow, as if the pain had made them thicker. _

_He reached out and touched the whiteness._

_There was a slight sting, smaller this time, and he bore it until it became a slap, a punishing surge of electricity that set his nerves alit. He yanked his hands back, cursing, and then tripped on the spikes again, throwing his still stinging hand out to catch himself before his impaled his body on the them._

_And then, instead of cool metal, there was gritty stone, and he realized that they weren't so much spikes as they were spikey rocks that jutted out around him, and for some reason, that was so much worse._

_The feel of rock under his fingers made him shake, and he hastened to let go, to pull away and stop holding on to them like they were his lifeline when they weren't. When they shouldn't ever be._

_But a great, empty darkness had opened up around him, and he was slipping into it. He scrambled up the rock even more, fingers curling around the spike at the tip._

" _Stop it!" He shouted, and from somewhere, the wind started howling. " Stop it, this isn't funny anymore!"_

_But when had it ever been funny before? And for that matter, when was __**before**__, anyway?_

_He had no answer. The spike was stabbing his palm, and he felt something wet run down his wrist. It should've been hot, but it was cold, and when he looked, there was no blood on his arm, only water, and then he realized that it was raining and he was soaking wet and the rocks –spikes- were slipping out from under his fingers, and he hand to grapple with his hands just to stay up and out of the great nothingness that was opening up underneath him._

" _Stop it, stop it, I don't like it!" He cried, but the wind was screeching around him, and it was sucking the air out of his lungs and stealing his words and choking him. The wind was wrapping around his throat and squeezing until little stars erupted over his vision and he couldn't see straight._

_No, not the wind._

_Tiny, thin little curls of black that were reaching out of the pit under his to try and haul him down. He loosened one had and swatted at them, slipping precariously down._

_There was a low roar that echoed up at him, and he blanched, the stone under his hand wet with rain and the little curls of darkness slipperier than the stone, and suddenly, the roaring was above him and it was thunder, and he could see dark clouds over him._

_His fingers slipped a little._

_White lightening danced across the darkened sky, and all he could think of was that the whiteness in front of him suddenly looked so much darker..._

_But he couldn't see it, because the lightening was blinding him. Spots were dancing in front of his eyes, and he could barely keep them open without them hurting. His fingers ached, and as another little tendril coiled over his foot, he smashed his leg into the rock, wincing. He heard the thing give a gut-wrenching scream as it connected._

_Everything on seemed to be burning, as if he'd been lit on fire and left to smoulder. He tried to breathe, but the air around his was too hot, charged with a nameless energy that ripped down his throat and stabbed at his lungs. He choked, and to his horror, something wet crawled up into his mouth and splattered out, staining his lips._

_His eyes forced themselves open, even as his free hand, the one he'd been using to bat the curls of darkness away, reached up to wipe his mouth, coming back sticky and wet. The thing in front of him blazed darker than he'd ever seen it, sucking the colour out of the world until Jaden was sure he was black and white, a sketch against rugged paper, easily erased. Wordlessly, he looked down at his palm._

_And cried out._

_Because there, plain as day and red as rose petals, was a smear of blood._

_Jaden choked, and tried to scream, but the wind hit him with a gust that felt like a physical blow, and then he was being hurled back, his fingers unclenching on the rock, and rocketing forward into the not-whiteness that was before him. As he crashed into it head first, he gave a cry, more blood splattering out from his mouth. The current of energy ripped through his skull and sent shockwaves down his body, and it was only distantly, in between the jolts of pain, that he recognized the pleasant warmth the electrical charges left in their wake..._

Jaden sat bolt upright again, his face sweaty. Gasping for breath, he felt his hands spasm in the sheet. Only one had closed over something much harder and sturdier than any sheet. Glancing down, he felt a ripple of shock go through him as he looked at the little black box that was held in a white knuckled hand.

Gingerly, he brought it up to his face and opened it.

A strangely familiar bolt of metal on a small chain sat cushioned in red velvet.

* * *

" I was kinda hoping it was the key to his jet." Aster said, dangling the key in front of him, looking at it sourly. Behind him, Lia gave a snort.

" He's not joking. He actually dragged me out to the damn thing and tried to get into it." She levelled him with a slight glare. " Klepto."

" Oh, c'mon, you can't tell me you wouldn't jump at the chance to take a spin in that thing." Aster insisted, leaning back in his chair to look at her. Lia, who was standing against the railing on Aster's boat, shook her head.

"With you behind the wheel? Not a chance in hell."

" Spoilsport." Aster muttered, and looked away so she couldn't see him pouting. From his position across the small table that was loaded down with breakfast food, Jaden sighed, and held up his hand. The key, if that's what it was, dangled from his wrist, where he'd slipped the chain on earlier.

" What do you think they are?"

Aster shrugged.

" Who knows? But Sartorius wouldn't have given them to us if they weren't important."

" Speaking of him giving you those things, how'd he managed to spin that one?" Lia glanced down at the water. " I mean, wasn't it a dream?"

" Sartorius has always had certain powers." Aster stabbed his fork into a sausage viciously. " He and Sarina were outcasts because of what they could do. Their own parents abandoned them. They managed to get their lives back on track, and now this..."

Lia shrugged.

" Life's not fair sometimes."

Aster shot her a look through his bangs. Jaden raised an eyebrow at their back-and-forth, wondering what had happened between them, but holding his tongue.

" You'll forgive him, won't you?" Aster asked softly. Lia didn't look up. " Lia, it wasn't him. I _know_ Sartorius, and he would never do anything like that. Never. It was the Light. It had to be."

" I..." Lia murmured, watching the little waves break against the hull of the boat.

" Lia." Aster sounded a little like he was pleading. Jaden narrowed his eyes at the look the pro-star was giving the Academic.

" Just...Just don't expect me to be okay alone with him." She said at length, shaking slightly. Her fingers brushed the bandages around her throat. " Don't put me in a room with him and no one else and expect me to be fine with that. Don't let him get too close to me for a little while, okay?"

Aster gave her a radiant smile.

" But you'll forgive him?"

" Eventually."

Aster reached out and touched Lia's arm in gratitude. And Jaden blinked, confused by the blush that suddenly flooded her cheeks.

* * *

Okay, there is a very long story about what happened with the update slip. It is complicated, I myself don't understand more than half of it, and the short version is this: Technology would kindly request that I go die in a fire. Seriously. Right at the end of my exam period, my laptop craps out on me. And my mom's computer couldn't read my files. So I had to do a bunch of weird, e-mail tag things in order to get a copy of my final paper for a class (due at the end of exam period) onto my mom's computer and then finish it before sending it in.

And then my mom's computer craps out on us.

And then there is a long, painful series of phone calls about my laptop, because apparently, the people at Staples can't read my hand writing (I admit, that it is terrible), and therefore couldn't call me to let me know that there was apparently NOTHING wrong with my laptop, it just decided to be stupid for no reason. Or something. That was the gist of what I got. So, after thanking my lucky stars that my family has a very unique last name (we are the only ones in the book), I get my laptop back. But some things got moved around, so I had to go searching for them (most of the chapters were in tact, but some older ones got moved around and I was NOT okay with that). And then I started writing again.

So let me repeat this:

Technology HATES me.

And that is why there have been no updates and my god, I'm so sorry but you're getting more tonight and something extra, and please, please, please forgive me! *puppy eyes*

Lia: ...That was, without a doubt, the single most pathetic thing I've ever seen in my life. I can't believe-

Do you WANT a slapshipping kiss? Because I will write in a slapshipping kiss! I will write one in in a HEARTBEAT, Missy!

Lia: ...*Meep!*

That being said, here I am, I'm sorry, and I have more chapters to upload. I really hope you'll like them, and I wish technology hated me less.

Love,

MoS


	43. Raging Tempest

Warnings: Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I give you the one, the only, the terrifying...HELL KAISER! (Be afraid. Be VERY afraid.)

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_.

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

" Haaah."

" What's with you?"

" Sorry. It's just, isn't this all getting a little tedious?"

" What?"

" Every day, just more people playing a card game for metals."

" While we're stuck in class, you mean?"

" It's not fair. They even cancelled Duel Monster Spirit Day!"

" Not totally."

" Lia, we get a lousy dance this Friday. What happened to the day off from school and the festival and the costume duel? This school just exists to cater to the dueling half of the student body."

" Um Jess, I hate to point out the elephant in the room, but..._Duel_ Academy?"

"Oh, shut up, Kitten, and let me be miserable for a little while!"

" Oh god, not you too."

" Huh?"

" It's that godforsaken nickname Atticus gave me. Every time I turn around, it seems like more people are using it."

" Why's that a problem?"

" It's embarrassing, that's the problem!"

" Oh I get it."

" Huh? Get what?"

" Miss Wicked Bitch of Ra Yellow isn't as tough as she likes people to think she is."

" Shut up."

" You're embarrassed because you like it so much."

" I do _not_ like it."

" _Suuuure_ you don't."

" Jess, seriously, shut up before I smack you."

" Oh please, you've taken swings at me before. I think I can handle you by now."

" Keep talking. Find out."

" Speaking of violence, you talk to Chazz lately?"

" Um, well..."

" What?"

" Talk and _talk_..."

" ...Please tell me you didn't start a shouting match in the infirmary."

" What? No, of course not!"

" Good."

" It was at the Red Dorm."

" Lia..."

" Oh, don't give me that look, Jess, he's been creepy polite to me for almost six months! Do you have any idea how nice it was to hear him call me a bitch again? I've been freaked out by him being all nice to me!"

" Only you, Lia, would prefer someone calling you a bitch over being nice to you."

" Hey, it's _Chazz_. When he's polite it's a sign that things are very wrong with the universe."

" So he's totally better now? The Light's gone?"

" Yeah, 's far as I can tell. He's back to being his usual, whiny, arrogant self."

" And for some reason, we're happy about this?"

" Well, would you rather he walked around with that smile on his face?"

" Uh, no. Definitely not."

" So take what you can get."

" Speaking of that philosophy...How's Bastian?"

" How should I know?"

" You haven't talked to him _at all_ since he went over to the Society of Psychos?"

" Why _would_ I?"

" Well, you tried to talk to Chazz, and I _know_ you tried to talk to Alexis, so..."

" How'd you know about Alexis?"

" I didn't."

" Damnit."

" Yeah, I'm sneaky like a fox."

" Stop patting yourself on the back and wipe that smug grin off your face."

" Oh, c'mon, Lia! You can't just ignore him forever!"

" Watch me. And it's not gonna be forever."

" Yeah?"

" Of course. I just have to last until graduation. Then I'll probably never see him again."

" Lia!"

" What? I think it's a very logical plan."

" Fuck the logic! Be reasonable, would ya?"

" I am being reasonable."

" In what warped version of reality?"

" I'd really prefer if you called it 'Lia-verse'."

" _Lia_!"

" Jesus Christ Jess! Don't throw a fit. It's my choice."

" Yeah, but...it seems like you're giving up."

" Two words, Jessica. Lost. Cause."

" It can't really be that bad, can it?"

" Jess, I don't want to talk about it now."

" You never do."

" Please, can we drop it?"

" I just think you'd feel better about it if you talked."

" Probably. And I will talk about it, sometime. But for right now, I wanna be really immature and feel sorry for myself."

" If you insist..."

" ..."

" ...So...is Alexis out of the hospital yet?"

" No, they're still freaking out about the burn marks on her. Apparently, they're too much like Chazz's for it to just be a coincidence."

" Yeah, what was up with those?"

" No idea. He just...had them when he showed up in the infirmary."

" This year is so _weird_."

" No weirder than last year."

" No, it's way weirder. I mean, c'mon, who knew people could get brainwashed in real life? I thought that was just something soap operas did when they needed to fill time."

" And what do you call what happened to Atticus?"

" An unfortunate circumstance?"

" He was brainwashed too."

" Was Nightshroud really that scary?"

" Dunno. I didn't see him. I only met Atticus after he woke up."

" He's a bit of a flirt, isn't he?"

" _A bit_?"

" Okay, a lot."

" Jess, he had nearly every girl in our Photography class panting after him!"

" Not to mention those guys..."

" ...Jess, you're getting that glazed look again."

" Huh? What? Oh sorry. I was just, ah...dangers of , uh...potholes."

" That wasn't even a sentence."

" Hey, you brought up the homoerotica. Blame yourself."

" Oh god. Why do I hang out with you?"

" My charming personality?"

" Hardly."

" My sparkling wit?"

" Ha!"

" Because I put up with you for extended periods of time and have weathered even your bitchiest of moods?"

" That's the one."

" You are so lucky you're cute, _Kitten_."

" I have textbooks in this bag and I am not afraid to use them."

" Yeah, yeah, I've heard that bef-What the hell is that?"

" What?"

" Down there. On the walkway. Is that...Does that look like Zane to you?"

" Huh? Let me see?" Lia crowded over to the window by Jessica. " Well, dark, foreboding and vaguely S&M-ish. It sure _seems_ like it's him."

Jessica shot her a smirk.

" You're so cruel."

" I try."

" But who's that down there with him?" Jessica turned her attention back to the students below, who'd made a circle around two figures.

" Dunno..." Lia squinted. The other figure, across from what she assumed was Zane, was pale, and looked awfully familiar...

Lia's eyes widened as she bolted from the window, taking off down the corridor as fast as her legs would carry her. Behind her, she heard Jessica yell, but she ignored it, turning the corner and nearly letting her feet fly out from under her.

" Aster, you dumbass. What've you done _this_ time?"

* * *

" Seriously? What's the new look? Did you buy out an S&M shop or something?" Aster taunted. " Don't tell me you've had to resort to those pathetic scare tactics to win your duels now?"

Zane's face was impassive. Aster frowned, wondering why his insults weren't hitting their mark.

" Or maybe," he pushed a smirk onto his face, " you just can't handle being beaten by me on national television."

He raised his duel disk.

" You want revenge, Zaney? Here's your chance."

He was in the middle of mentally congratulating himself for sounding so cool when something slammed into the back of his head. He jumped forward to compensate for the impact, and reached up to rub the back of his head, swearing all the while.

" What the fuck?" He hissed, feeling a lump form under his palm.

" What the hell do you think you're doing?"

An imposing figure stood behind him, hands on her hips and a scowl darkening her face. Aster felt a nervous smile flit up onto his face even as sparks starting dancing in her hazel eyes. A cold sweat started to gather before he could stop it, and he was forcibly reminded of his second visit to Duel Academy, when she'd thrown his own board at his head.

" Hey, babe." He said as casually as he could. Her brow only furrowed more.

" Don't you 'babe' me!" She snapped. " What the hell are you doing?"

" Trying to get my duel of the day out of the way." He said, pulling his hand away from his still aching head.

" You're _goading_ Zane into a fight!"

" Yeah, _and_?"

" Didn't you do enough damage the last time you two went at it?"

"Why Ottilia," Zane purred, interrupting them, " I didn't know you cared."

Aster glared at Zane viciously, but Lia spared him a passing glance, giving him a once over before scoffing.

" Rot in hell Zane." She said with her usual apathy towards him, before rounding on Aster again. She opened her mouth, then a dawning look came on her face, and she turned to look at Zane again. " And your outfit looks stupid."

Zane raised a dark green brow.

" I thought you said you weren't his friend." Aster hissed at her.

" I'm not."

" Then why are you defending him?"

" I'm not _defending _him. I'm just pointing out that _this_," she gestured to Zane's new look, " is all _your_ fault. He was _bearable_ before you got to him."

" So what, you're gonna pin his inability to deal with failure on me now, is that it?"

" All I'm saying is that I don't think you two should duel again. If dueling you once turned him into the poster boy for sadism, imagine what twice will do to him!"

" You say that like you expect me to lose." Zane drawled. Aster looked up, eager, but Lia cut him off.

" So you wann-"

" Do you _mind_, asshole? I'm _trying _to have a conversation here."

Zane let his head drop back and laugh. It was a smoky, dark thing, that instantly made Lia think of dark hallways and creaking doors and barred windows. It sent a shiver down her spine. It was different from the usual, stone-faced Zane she'd gotten accustomed to over the last year. This Zane was new and unpredictable, and that meant he was dangerous. From his flaring coat to his dark chuckles to his flashing, furious eyes, Lia felt an unease settle over her as she watched Zane's form get bigger and bigger. She didn't even realized that he'd moved until he was right in front of her, looking down at her with something that might've been fondness if it'd been on the old Zane's face. On this new one's, it got twisted around into a mocking, taunting thing that made Lia take an involuntary step back.

" You haven't changed a bit." Zane said with a little chuckle in the back of his throat. Lia fought the urge to break his gaze. It wasn't the same as the burning eyes of the Society members, but it was daunting and creeped her out just the same.

" Well, we can't all just up and decide to go goth, now can we?" She replied cuttingly, a little too rough and a little too quick. Zane smiled down at her, and it was an unholy thing that sent a shudder through her. He really looked insane, like he might snap and break her neck without so much as a warning look. He might even do it with that same, condescending smile on his face.

" You're afraid of me." He said softly, leaning down to twirl the little locks of hair at the side of her face on his index finger. Lia leaned her head away, perturbed.

" Don't be stupid. I'm not scared of you. I gave you a pretty big bruise last year before winter break." She touched her messenger bag. " Wanna see what I can do now? You're a helluva lot closer and my books are a helluva lot thicker."

" Lia." He said, twirling her hair around his finger again. " I can see you trembling."

Then he closed his fingers around the lock of hair and pulled, Lia yelping in pain as her head was jerked up diagonally into the air. Zane gave her another smile, this one crinkled at the edges, just a little deranged, and leaned down so that his breath fanned over her face.

" I don't like it when people lie to me, Ottilia."

Two things happened right then.

One was that Aster rushed up and hauled her away, one arm around her shoulders, glaring so hard at Zane it was a miracle that the other boy didn't evaporate.

The other was that Lia's knee connected with Zane's stomach.

He grunted, but grinned at her through the pain.

" Leave her alone!" Aster snarled, pressing Lia closer to him. " She's been through enough without having to deal with your shit!"

" Gonna sic your new boyfriend on me, Ottilia?" Zane taunted, still smiling at her. Lia bared her fangs.

" A, he's not my boyfriend, and B, next time, I'm kicking you in between the legs."

" You just love to hurt people, don't you, Ottilia." It wasn't a question. " You love causing people pain. You like tearing them down until they can't walk anymore. You like kicking them when they're on the ground. You're the personification of everything I know to be true. The whole world just lives to hurt itself. I'm _so_ glad to see that you haven't changed."

Lia was white with shock. She shrugged Aster's arm off, and walked forward, her eyes never leaving Zane's. He smirked smugly at her, as if daring her to try and contradict him. That was a mistake. Her pale face flushed red with anger and before anyone knew what was happening, Lia had whipped her hand back and brought it to connect with Zane's cheek.

Except that he caught it.

" Thank you for proving my point." Zane mockingly bowed his head to her.

" Get your fucking hands offa me." She said through gritted teeth.

" You really are such a bitch." He hauled her up to her tip-toes by her arm, his grip tightening until Lia started wincing. Aster surged forward, fury in his eyes.

" Zane, that's enough!"

The entire walkway went dead quiet. Zane blinked, and looked over his shoulder, casually tossing Lia to Aster. He caught her automatically, because he hadn't been the one to address Zane.

Walking up the marble pathway, duel disk activated and a glare on his normally gentle face, was Syrus Trusedale.

* * *

...

Would you all hate me if I told you that this is FAR from the ugliest it's going to get? Because trust me, this is just the tip of the iceburg. Well, I'll see you in the next chapter, so until then!

MoS


	44. Changing Winds

Warnings: Ladies and gentlemen, The HELL KAISER Part Two. (Be even MORE afraid.)

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_.

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

Syrus was pretty sure that he'd been waiting for this moment his whole life.

The duel disk felt light and perfect on his wrist. The cards jostled a little in their slots with each step he took. Is face was set, his look was grim, and across from him, his brother was looking at him like he'd never seen him before.

It was perfect.

Since the first moment he'd heard of the GX Tournament, Syrus had been pretty sure Zane was going to show up. Even with his new dark clothes and his cruel outlook and those terrifying looks Zane had been sporting for the better part of the year, Syrus knew that his brother had retained one thing about his personality: He had a bit of a flare for the dramatic. It was a guilty pleasure, and one he hid well under a mask of apathy, but Syrus knew, if Zane could make an entrance that would make a hush fall over the crowd, he'd do it. Usually, his very presence was enough to make it happen.

That was why Syrus had been counting on Zane being there. He knew his brother. And his brother, whatever form he was in now, would want to come back to Duel Academy, if only to find his old friends and prove that he wasn't the same person they knew. Syrus knew his brother would want to show off a little, even if it was in a pointlessly cruel and sadistic manner. Syrus hadn't been at all surprised when the rumours starting floating in that Zane was on the island. His duel with Atticus had only driven the point that there was something wrong with his brother, even more obvious now that he was up close and in person, home.

And Syrus desperately wanted to duel him. Because Zane wasn't the only Trusedale that had changed.

Syrus wasn't the same boy he'd been the previous year. The Sacred Beasts had seen to that. But it was more than just the monsters under the bed. Syrus had realized that over the summer. He'd been changing before he'd ever heard of the Spirit Gate Keys. He'd been changing ever since the day he'd met Jaden Yuki and found what felt like the only person in the whole world who believed in him. He'd been steadily growing stronger every day he spent with his friends. He drew on the warmth they put into his life, on the strength that seemed to roll off them in waves, no matter how strange the strength was (Chazz's anger and Alexis' hope and Lia's pride and Chumley's kindness and Bastian's wit and Jaden's unbending, blazing confidence in himself, his friends, and the goodness in people's hearts. Each was different, each was unique, and each one made Syrus just a little stronger every time he came into contact with it.). He'd kept growing and growing until the shell of 'Zane's little brother' was too small for him, and he'd broken it. He wasn't sure when that had happened (maybe when he'd told Zane'd he'd hated him; maybe when he'd said he loved him' maybe when Jaden had pulled him out of the abyss. Somewhere along the way, he became _Syrus_, his own, solitary person, and stopped living in Zane's shadow.), but it had and he was eternally grateful for it. He no longer felt like he owed Zane anything as his brother.

And that was why he was half ready to punch Zane in the face for hurting Lia.

The girl in question was slumped against Aster, looking a little shocked at the proceedings, but Syrus was willing to bet that, given a few minutes, she'd be up and raring to take a swing at his brother, and that meant the he had to move quickly.

" What's wrong with you?" Syrus let the venom bleed into his tone. " Attacking Lia like that. That's something only scum would do! I thought you were better than that, Zane!"

He waited for a cutting reply, the cold, dismissive look he'd always gotten from Zane in the past. A year ago, such a look might've sent him into a fit of tears. But as it was, all he felt was the same sense of calm fall over his senses that he'd had when fighting Missy. He felt like nothing could faze him, like he was just a block of ice, emotionless and immobile, not caring about words and gestures.

No, that wasn't true. Under his calm he was angry. He was very angry. The blood was boiling in his veins and there was a red haze he was fighting off that threatened to overtake his line of sight. Syrus clenched his hands into fists at his sides. He was angry that Zane had attacked his friend. He was angry that Zane had changed. Mostly, he was angry that Zane hadn't said anything and was just standing there, his silence just daring Syrus to try and break it. A year ago, he wouldn't have been able to. That was probably why he did.

" Well? Don't you have anything to say for yourself?"

Maybe it wasn't the most creative thing to say, but he was too mad to think of anything really witty.

" Syrus..." Zane started, but Syrus felt the need to cut him off, like his brother had done to him so many times.

_Syrus gave a slight whimper, but held his tears back as his elder brother surveyed him with no friendly light in his dark eyes. Every instinct in his body told him to get up off the ground and run like the hounds of hell were nipping at his heels, but another, softer part of him asked how far he could really get, with Zane on his tail. Syrus was a good deal many things (most of them were negative), but stupid wasn't on that list, at least not where his brother was concerned. He knew that, no matter what the challenge or predicament, nothing he did would ever measure up to Zane. It was the pure, depressing truth that Syrus had been forced to accept time and time again, when whatever miniscule speck of his previous bravery vanished with one glance of those scornful eyes._

_" Z-Zane." He was trembling. God help him, he was trembling like a child in their first thunderstorm. Distantly, (because Zane's presence robbed him of all function and process) Syrus wondered if a person was supposed to feel this afraid and this pathetic around a big brother. Judging from the way he interacted with Jaden and Chumley (but did they really count? Did they actually mean more to him than his own brother?), then no, he wasn't supposed to start shaking whenever he and Zane made eye contact. But years of listening to the verbal barbs pouring out of his brother's mouth had long since taken their toll on Syrus, both in his pale, sweating face and in the knocking of his knees as his brother towered over him, the sun behind him casting his features (handsome, strong, godlike; his mother was wrong, Zane __had__ gotten everything, including the looks) into a foreboding shadow._

_" Syrus." Clipped, curt, and to the point. A cold anxiety started to curl in Syrus' stomach. " I'm glad I ran into you."_

_" Th-This is m-my dorm, b-b-big br-brother?" Syrus stuttered, biting his bottom lip and avoiding looking into those cold eyes so far above him._

_" So it is." He cast a chilling eye around the area. " Shabby, run down, pathetic." Then those eyes were on him, and his entire being seize up in terror._

_" Suits you perfectly, Syrus."_

_The blow might have sent him staggering, in an earlier time, but now all it did was cause him to flinch and curl in on himself more, his mind numbed by the onslaught that had been all that the brothers' relationship consisted of for several years now._

_" Then again," Zane was musing, and when Zane mused, it only meant that Syrus was in for some well thought out, and bitingly cold comments, " I may be wrong."_

_Syrus knew better than to give himself the pleasure of hoping his brother wasn't going to say what he knew Zane would say. That was a luxury Syrus hadn't been able to allow himself for years._

_" The Slifer Dorm is the place this school created for the most pathetic duellists who lucked out on their entrance exams."_

_' __So it's luck now, is it__?' Syrus thought dimly. ' __I don't even have a little bit of skill worth acknowledging__?'_

_" It's a hive where the scum of the Academy likes to convene and gather."_

_' __I don't know whether to be insulted, or start laughing__.' The rebellious thought flickered through him so fast it might have just been his imagination. After all, he was Syrus, and Syrus could never stand up to Zane, not even in his thoughts._

_" This place is putrid."_

_Syrus whimpered under his breath as his mobility returned and he tried to slink off to the side where his brother would be less inclined to notice him. But Zane's next words froze him in place._

_" But it's still too good for you."_

" _I came to talk. So get up, and let go somewhere we won't be disturbed."_

_Syrus got to his feet, but he swayed form side to side and looked only at the ground, not daring to see the look his brother was giving him. He stumbled after Zane, who had started off towards the inlet under the cliff by the younger boy's dorm. Syrus followed droopily, his head hanging wearily on his chest and his eyes hidden by the angle at which his blue bangs fell. The dying sun hit his face as it sun behind the vast bridge across from the two brothers, and the light caught the crystal river of tears flowing down his face. A shaky hand reached up and brushed them away, his bottom lip caught in between his teeth._

_Zane spared no glance backwards as he calmly, but steadily walked forward, manoeuvring through jutting rocks and a rough, rocky path that led down to the small space under the cliff that looked out onto the sea, which was dyed red with the setting sun cast out over it. Zane continued walking, not uttering a word as Syrus stifled his sobs with his fist, pressed against his mouth. If Zane heard the pitiful little noises his little brother was emitting, he gave no indication. Syrus was inclined to believe that Zane was ignoring him. He'd certainly had enough practice._

_' __Even now, after so many years…__' His mind murmured as Zane came to stop and turned around to look at the huddling boy._

_' __Why does it still hurt__?'_

_" There's something we need to talk about."_

_Zane was looking at him now, Syrus was sure of it. He could feel those damning eyes on him from anywhere. But he stayed as he was, eyes turned to the ground and face hidden by his unruly hair, refusing to look at the older. It was the only rebellion he could afford, the only bravado that was allotted to him. He may be trembling and broken and scared, but so long as he refused to look at his brother, he could keep what little dignity remained. And he could defy the rules Zane had unknowingly set around their encounters. He could disobey Zane, his tormentor and idol, even if it was only in so small a gesture._

_" That card I gave to you." He could feel the hard glare at his body. Unconsciously, his hand reached into the pocket where'd he frantically shoved the card as he'd ran blindly from the dorm room, and closed his fingers around it, remembering a moonlit cavern where Jaden had done the same thing._

_" Power Bond." He whispered, his voice lost to the wind as it picked up suddenly and howled around the two brothers like an enraged wolf pack._

_" Yes, that one." Zane's voice was different somehow, a little more strained than usual, like he was struggling with himself. It peaked Syrus' interest, but the boy kept his head down, fingers digging into the laminated back of the card._

_" I want you to give it back."_

_Syrus' head shot up before he could stop it, and he stared in horror at his elder brother._

_" Y-You…what?"_

_" You heard me." And there was no mercy in his tone. The world around them shrunk to those unyielding eyes staring at him from the face of the person Syrus hated and loved the most in the world._

_" Give me Power Bond back."_

The memory made him scowl. The fact that Zane had once held so much power of him made him cringe. He'd refused to put Power Bond in his deck, he'd told Jaden, because he wanted to feel like he deserved to use it. That was only half true. Syrus knew that he'd never feel like he deserved the card until he felt like he could use it without seeing the shadow of his older brother standing over him, nodding approvingly. Syrus wanted to be able to play the card for himself, and not because he wanted Zane's approval about it. He wanted to feel worthy of Power Bond as a card, not as the card his brother gave to him. Until he could step out of that place, until he could leave behind the boy who constantly chased his brother's coat tails and took his abuse in the hopes of a kind word slipping in, he wasn't going to use Power Bond.

It seemed like the opportunity had finally come up.

" That was totally out of line, and you know it! Lia didn't do anything to you to merit that kind of manhandling.!"

Zane's silence only served to make him even angrier.

" Damnit Zane! Say something!"

" Don't you even dare try to defend yourself!" Aster snapped, glaring. Syrus looked at him in surprise. Beside the pro-star, Lia ducked out from under his arm, and crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes shooting little daggers at Zane.

" Don't even bother." She huffed, her shoulders tense. " It doesn't matter to him, it never has."

Aster looked at her incredulously.

" You're just gonna _take_ that? From _him_?"

" I'm choosing to ignore him."

" And what does that solve?"

" Well for one thing, it lets me get back to class on time."

" Lia, this is _serious_."

" And so am I. Bye, Aster."

" Lia!"

" Aster!" She snapped finally, her fingers flying up to touch her bandaged throat. " You of all people know I've taken worse blows."

Aster's face whitened and he took a step forward, hand outstretched.

" Lia..."

She shook her head.

" No. Just...I wanna leave."

" You _are_ scared."

Zane's voice

Zane's voice echoed even though he hadn't raised it at all. The hush that Syrus knew his brother adored had fallen over the crowd as they watched the drama unfold. Lia turned, very slowly, to face Zane. When she did, Syrus let out a low whistle at the look in her eyes. For a split second, with the light hitting her and throwing one half of her face into sharp relief, she looked capable of murder.

" Fuck. You." She said slowly, letting the words roll out of her mouth like knives slowly twisting into a wound. The air around the gathered group chilled, and Syrus held his breath, feeling everyone around him do the same. Zane tipped his head in Lia's direction, a mocking bow, and her eyes flashed. For a second, Syrus wondered if she was going to try and slap him again. Instead, her eyes drifted over to his own.

" Kick his ass, Sy."

And then she was walking towards the school entrance, completely dismissing Zane as if he was nothing more than a fly that had buzzed too closed to her ear. The people around him let out their held breaths in one collective sigh, and Syrus held up his duel disk, smirking in what he hoped was a confident manner at his brother.

" Well, you heard the lady."

Zane half turned, his face still in shadow. Syrus held his pose, waiting for Zane to make a move, and trying to predict what it would be when he did. Would he ignore Syrus like he usually did? Would he cross the distance and swiftly plough his foot into Syrus' gut? Or would he, maybe, just maybe, honour the challenge and face his brother in an honest duel? Syrus had a contingency plan for each of the options (ranging from rushing over and kicking Zane in the shin if he was ignored to using the minor combat skills Hassleberry had drilled into his head to block the kick and then clonk Zane in the head with his activated duel disk), including a thousand and one strategies he could use against Zane and his new deck.

Then Zane looked at him.

And Syrus' breath caught and remained caught in between the painful bars of steel that were criss-crossing through his chest. He'd never seen that look before, but he'd seen something close to it, the night he'd come back from his journey through hell.

_There was an impossible beat of silence, during with Miss Fontaine (tears in her own eyes) quickly walked back behind the screen, saying something about needing to tend to Lia (the boys got a glance of her silhouette collapsing into the chair beside the bed and her head falling into her hands before the lamp was switched off), and Chazz shifted in his sleep, dangling precariously at the edge of the chair, and then there was a scrambling noise behind Bastian, and he was nearly blindsided as a white and blue blur shot past him and attached itself to the oddly calm Syrus._

_Zane Trusedale crushed his little brother to him, burrowing his face in hair and trailing shocked kisses over his ear and cheek, sobbing hysterically._

_" You're back! Oh thank God, you're __back__! I thought I'd lost you!" Zane sank deeper onto his knees, pulling Syrus to him. " I thought I'd lost you forever! I thought I was never going to see you again!" He pulled back, just enough so that he could look Syrus in the eye, and peppered brotherly kisses across the boy's forehead. " Why would you…how could you do something like that?" He shook Syrus slightly, but his own shoulders trembled so badly the gesture was rendered pointless._

_Syrus looked his brother in the eye, and smiled softly, the light from the triumphantly rising sun behind him made his entire head of pale blue glow. Bastian felt oddly spiritual at the moment, and wondered if maybe there was some higher power in the room, gently absolving Zane of all his guilt. The older boy's breath had caught in his throat, and, from what little Bastian could see of the Kaiser's face, he was staring at his younger brother like he'd never seen him before._

_" Because you're my brother…" Syrus let his hand gently stroke Zane pale and gaunt face, " …And I love you."_

_Zane let out a hoarse shout of joy, and then buried his face in Syrus' shoulder, sobbing loudly and tangling his fingers in his brother's hair as he stroked and petted it, as though he was trying to touch as much of Syrus as he could at once._

_" I love you too." Zane sobbed, pressing his nose against Syrus' pulse and taking comfort in the steady beat of his little brother (second chance; full circle; rebirth). " I love you too. So much. I love you so much. I always have. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, Syrus. So sorry."_

Love had been in his brother's eyes that night. It had been the look he'd been waiting to see for nearly three quarters of his life. It had stirred something inside him, made him feel happy and light and wanted. It had made the hell he'd overcome nothing more than a stepping stone on the road of his life. Syrus remembered just laying in Zane's arms, leaning back and sighing, and letting himself be happy with the way things had turned out. Later, he'd told himself, later he'd deal with the nightmares and the memories and the scars he undoubtedly had now. And yes, over the summer, he'd woken up screaming more times that he could count. Zane had always been there to comfort him, a look of tenderness on his face. That same look was on his face now.

But it was wrong.

With the same, horrified sense that Syrus had gotten from Chazz's blank smile, the small Ra looked his brother in the eye. There was love there, beautiful and bright and strong, but it was warped, twisted under a layer of cruelty and obsession. His eyes were over bright, almost alive in their own sense, and the way he looked at Syrus made unpleasant shivers erupt down the boy's spine.

" Zane?" He whispered, feeling, for the first time in a long while, scared and uncertain. He kept his duel disk raised, though.

Zane smiled a feverish, twistedly tender smile.

" Syrus. I've been looking all over for you." His voice was raspy, rougher, like he'd been speaking at lower pitch for too long. It sounded so gravelly that Syrus had to wonder if his throat hurt. " I wanted to come and find you. Did you see my last match?"

" Zane, what...?"

" Did you see it?" Zane asked sharply, the light in his eyes making them glint like green steel. Confused and a little scared, Syrus nodded. Zane's face relaxed.

" You saw how I crushed him?"

Syrus nodded again.

" You saw how easy it was for me to win?"

A nod.

" Then you understand!"

" Understand what, Zane?" Syrus said cautiously, fighting the urge to start moving backwards as Zane walked towards him, smiling growing larger and more frightening.

" Understand that you can rely on me now! I can protect you from anything. You'll never have to rely on anyone else ever again."

" Zane, you're scaring me." Syrus gave into the urge and took a step back, but Zane moved faster than he could follow, and the next thing the Ra knew, Zane was kneeling before him to look into his eyes, hands on his shoulders and eyes boring into his own.

" Syrus, everything's gonna be fine now." Zane said insistently. " I'll never let anything happen to you again. I'll always protect you, no matter what. From now on, you can-"

" Let go of me!" Syrus tried to push back, but Zane's hands held him tight. A second later he was being hauled forward into an embrace, Zane's face pressed against his hair and his words soft and tender and _wrong_ in Syrus' ears.

" I get it, Sy, I do. I understand why you don't want to trust me. I can't blame you, not after what I did. Not after the way I let you down last year."

" 'Let me down', Zane, what are you _talking_ about-"

" I was so stupid. I let you get hurt. You were screaming for so long, and I let that happen. I know you still have nightmares about it, Sy. I know you still cry yourself to sleep some nights because you're so scared. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry that I did that to you."

" _You _didn't do anything, it was all me-"

" But I swear to you, I will_ never_ let anything like that happen to you again. I'll protect you, Syrus, I promi-"

" Zane, cut it out!" Syrus dug one of the ends of his duel disk into his brother's side. As Zane's grip loosened at his pained grunt, Syrus shoved the older boy's body back. Syrus took two shaky steps back, breathing hard, trying to figure out what his brother was raving about.

" Syrus?" Zane whispered, looking at him like Syrus had kicked his dog into on-coming traffic.

" Zane, you're not making sense. Everything that...all that stuff last year...it wasn't your fault, bro. I _chose_ to save you, because that's what brothers do. Don't tell me you've been beating yourself up about it this whole time. I made it back in one piece, Zane. I'm alive. Jaden saved –"

" Don't bring that up!" Zane roared, surging to his feet. Syrus blinked, a cold lump of panic starting to form in his stomach. Zane held up his duel disk and let it activate with a click.

" I guess I'll have to duel you to make you understand, little brother." Zane whispered, and there was something dark in his tone, something that reminded Syrus too much of his nightmares to bode well.

Zane's smile was just a little psychotic as he glanced over to the briefcase he'd been carrying around.

" I'll show you...I'll show you the power I possess. I'll show you that _I'm_ the one who'll save you, no matter what I have to do."

* * *

...

Ohjesusfrickin'christ how is he CREEPIER than Society!Chazz? He shouldn't be that creepy! How the fuck is he that creepy?

Lia: You WROTE him to be that creepy?

I'll tell you what I wrote, I did not write anything that CREEPY! It just HAPPENED! ...How the fuck does something like THAT just HAPPEN?

Lia: Would you calm down?

No, I'm genuinely freaked out! I'm SCARED of my own creation! *Shudders* And here, you all get to see the admitedly DISTURBING way my mind works. You see, I was at loss for how to turn Zane into the Hell Kaiser. The Zane I ended with in Year One isn't so big on the power trip anymore. The motivation given for him in the original show doesn't hold up with the Zane I've created in this universe. This Zane didn't NEED to be the strongest. He'd lost Syrus by trying to be the strongest, and he wasn't about to take that risk again. Losing once to Aster Phoenix would NOT have destroyed him like it did in the show. I needed a new angle for him. I needed to destroy him mentally the same way the show did.

So I turned to my dear friend Agent Malkere and said:

" HELP! HELP! HELP ME PLEASEOHPLEASEOHPLEASE! I'VE GOT NOTHING! I'M A TERRBILE WRITER AND I NEED HEEEEEEEELLLLLP!"

And she came up with this. And then I build ana altar to her and worshipped at it every night for four months because she is made of awesome.

Her suggestion was simple: Maybe Zane is feeling inadequate because JADEN saved Syrus, not him. And you what? It worked. It worked so well. It worked to the point of me wanting to run screaming before the Yearverse Hell Kaiser because he is all kinds of fucked up.

Zane: Did you say something?

...RUN AWAY!

MoS


	45. Drowning Memories

Warnings: HELL KAISER Part Three-Drunk Addition.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_- I just wrote Drunk!Zane, I just wrote Drunk!Zane. Oh holy shit, I just wrote Drunk!Zane, what is WRONG with me?

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

_Zane threw down the shot, feeling the liquid burn the back of his throat. The lights in his apartment were all turned off, and the only thing letting him even see the glass and bottle in front of him was the pale moonlight that seeped through the drawn curtains. Zane groaned, and let his head fall down into the table, barely wincing as it connected with a solid 'thump'. The images kept playing through his head, hard as he tried to drown them out._

_Aster Phoenix, mocking his beautiful Cyber End Dragon._

_Aster Phoenix, forcing his monster into defence mode, then back into attack mode, playing with it._

_Aster Phoenix , standing straight and proud in his victory, his taunting laughter ringing across the stadium as Zane slipped to his knees..._

_Zane reached for the bottle and, forgoing the glass, brought it to his lips and starting chugging the amber liquid inside. The back of his throat started to burn again, and he closed his eyes as the roaring buzz filled his senses and made his head swim for a moment. He held it in for as long as he could, but the feeling overcame him and he ripped the bottle away from him mouth, coughing and choking around the groan that made the alcohol go down the wrong side of his throat. It fell from the bottle as he slammed the container down on the table, splashing against the wood and dripping into little stains on the carpet. Zane didn't notice; he brought a hand up to wipe away a mixture of scotch and saliva that was dripping from his lower lip._

" _Fuck." He swore weakly, putting his face in the crook of the arm resting on the table. He lay there, quiet for a moment, just trying to breathe normally until his lungs worked again. Then he raised his head just enough to look at the bottle in front of him._

" _Y're not helpin'." He slurred in an accusing tone. " Y're suppose ta help. So why ain'tcha?" He pulled the bottle closer and shook it threateningly._

" _Y're suppose ta make me...feel...feel b-better 'bout all this." He waved his hand around his apartment in a sweeping gesture. "Inshteand, I just feel..l-lousier 'en befo'."_

_The bottle was silent. For some reason, that only made Zane angrier._

" _I keep...I keep playing it over in my head. He shouldn'ta...shouldn'ta won. He shouldn'ta. His stupid..stupid..." Zane searched his memory desperately, trying to call up the name of the card Aster had used, but drew a blank." ...aw fuck, that stupid card he ushed...it shouldnt'a fuckin' worked, 'kay? Cyber...Cyber Dragon..." No, that didn't sound quite right. But thinking about it too hard made his head ache, so he left it at that. " My...m'dragon ish too...too..."_

_He made a gesture with his hand, spreading it out from his body._

" _My dragon's fuckin' aweshome, end o' shtory. Story." He paused. " Aw fuck, I think 'm devel...devil...depel...gettin' a lisp."_

_The bottle sat quietly in his hand, and Zane glared half-heartedly at it._

" _You got it eashy. Easy. Fucking lisp. Where was I? Oh yeah. You...you don't have ta do anythin'. You just gotta...gotta sit there an'...an' wait for people ta drink ya. All you gotta do is sit on a fucking self...fuck, shelf...and wait for some poor bashtard ta get thirshty. Fuck, no thirsy! I said thirsty!" He shook the bottle again. " You got it made, pal._

" _Me? 'M in a heap o' shit right now. I was...supposed ta win, ya know? I was supposed ta beat this lousy punk. It was gonna be easy-peasy. Like...one, two, three, A,B,C, it'sh over, thank you ladies and gentlemen and goooodnight!_

" _But noooo, he hash ta...hash ta...hash ta have that stuuupid card in his deck and then he makes fun o' my dragon, and 'm not okay with that, okay? I'm not. My dragon is...is fucking awesome, and that punk needs ta learn a lesson." Zane brought the bottle to his lips, tilted his head back and let the liquid flow down his throat again, hiccupping when he pulled it back._

"_Sorry 'bout that, buddy. But, ya know, I got thirshty. Thirsty. Fuck, whatever. And that'sh what you're there for. In case I get thirsty, right? That's all you gotta do. Just be there." Zane sighed mournfully and pulled the bottle a little closer._

" _I...I wasn't there, ya know. Not lasht year. Not when Sy needed me. He did sumthin' stupid. My little brother is stupid, but he's fuckin' awesome too, so it'sh okay. See, he...he took my place." Zane's voice dropped to a whisper. " He went inshtead o' me. He went...down t' that...that place. That dark place." Zane's hand motions didn't do a very good job of describing 'that dark place'. " He was there for...for, like, weeks. Weeksh. First one sounded righter." He mumbled, and flopped back in his seat, letting his head dangle over the back._

" _An' I didn't like it. I told em so. I __**told**__ 'em. I jusht walked right up ta Sheppard an' said, I want my little brother back! You give him back! An' he said, No! An' I said, What did you say to me, Baldy? An' he said...he said..." Zane's knuckles went white around the neck of the bottle. _

" _He said it was a...__**necessary sacrifice**__."_

_Under the circumstances, it was amazing Zane was able to string together enough brain cells to even consider forming the words 'necessary' and 'sacrifice'. Unfortunately for him, he was too drunk to applaud himself, and his only company was the scotch bottle he was using to get drunk, and it wasn't very inclined to start speaking with Zane on a drunken roll._

" _An' I told him the troof. Truth. I said, That's bullshit! It's my li'l brother an' he ain't no sacrifice an' if you know what'sh good for ya, you'll get him back! But he didn't!" Zane waved the bottle around wildly, sloshing scotch against the sides and sometimes, with a particularly violent motion, sent some of it splashing to the floor. _

"_He jus' let Sy stay right where he was, with th' Beashts!" Zane ranted, red in the face. " Like it didn't matter, like Sy didn't matter! I wanted ta hit 'im soooo bad, but I couldn't, 'cause I was shtill in shchool. School. Schoooool." Zane seemed to lose some steam at the mention of Duel Academy._

" _I miss school. I miss Atticus and Lexi. Atty was...he was outta it for most o' lasht year. He could...could always make me laugh. I didn't like it, at firsht. I didn't like letting nobody in. But Atty was...was...shpecial. He made you let him in. We got drunk together at parties a few times." Zane looked at the bottle sadly. " Not like this. When I was drunk with Atty, it was fun. We played party games and I've Never, an' one time we played Spin the Bottle with an empty beer bottle, and it was my turn and it landed on Atty, an' I didn't wanna, so he did it for me. He's a good kisser." Zane let a stupid grin slide up onto his face. " Not as good as Lexi thought. I kissed Lexi. Never told Atty, but Lexi wanted her first kish ta be special, but she was goin' ta a party wit' Jazz and Min, and she was scared she was gonna lose it so she ask me ta do it, and I did 'cause c'mon, Lexi is perfect." Zane sighed. " She's beautiful and smart and I'd marry her. Atty wants me to and I will if she wants ta. I'd marry her in a heartbeat. 'M __**crazy**__ about her. I think 'bout her all the time now. I thought 'bout her a lot when I wash in school, but now it's just...all the time, like I can't stop, even if I tried. I don't try. I like thinking about Lexi. I miss her." He sighed, and looked back up at the ceiling. The blue glow of the moonlight cast eerie shadows along the tiles. When Zane spoke again, there was a dark, grating tone just under his voice, like a roar being held back._

" _Couldn't protect Lexi either. She got...kid...kina...kipna...taken all the time. Everybody wanted her. She even got locked in a...a coffin! Twice! An' I couldn't protect her!"_

_Zane stood up abruptly, glaring down at the bottle with enough force to set it on fire. Under his hand, there was a small, breaking noise, and a crack appeared along the bottle, under his hand._

" _I can't protect anybody! I can't protect Lexi and I couldn't get ta Atty in time and I couldn't save Sy! I had to let Jaden do that! Jaden did it all! He's more of a brother ta Sy than I am!" His hand slipped down the bottle a little, and his skin got caught on the crack. A thin line of red started to slide down the bottle, but Zane was too angry to notice._

" _It was always Jaden! No matter what, Jaden came through! All we ever did was rely on Jaden! __**He **__saved my brother, not me! __**Him**__! Sy loves him for it an' I don't blame him 'cause I was so...so...USELESS! I couldn't do __**anything! **__I had to sit back an' let __**Jaden**__ save the day, 'cause he's a hero! He saves people and he saved my brother and I should be grateful, I should be! But I'm not! _

" _I'm so fucking mad an' all I wanna do is punch Jaden fucking Yuki in the face, an' I __**know **__that's wrong! I shouldn't wanna hurt the guy who __**saved**__ Syrus for me! But I wanna do it! I wanna hit him so bad! I wanna hit everybody, even Lexi, an' I wanna hit me most o' all, 'cause it was all my fault!_

" _I wanted ta save my brother, I did! I still do! I wanna save Sy! But I can't, I just can't! 'Cause I'm too goddamn weak ta do anything. I can't even beat __**Aster Phoenix**__!"_

_And with a last roar of fury, Zane hurled the bottle at the opposite wall, watching it shatter into a rain of glass and amber liquid, leaving a dirty smear on the paint. Zane stood there, huffing, his face still red and his hand to ache. He brought the other one up and pushed the bangs out of his eyes, muttering darkly under his breath._

" _Fuck." He swore at last. " I'm thirsty."_

* * *

_He'd taken a shower, but he hadn't bothered to dry his hair, and it hung, shiny and wet, leaving patches of dampness on his dark suit. Zane wandered aimlessly through the back alleys, his head pounding. It was very late, as far as he could tell. Or maybe it was early. The effects of the alcohol seemed to be wearing of, and the beginnings of a blinding headache were gathering just under his temples._

_He cursed, and pushed the heel of his hand against his eyes._

" _Li'l late for a stroll, ain't it?"_

_The man was dressed in a long coat, and he had a top had. That was the first thing Zane noticed. He would notice a lot of things later, like the man's Southern drawl, or his antique cane, sharpened to a wicked looking point at the end, or the way the light seemed to reflect off his glasses and hide his eyes, but the first thing that registered in Zane's already pain-filled mind was the top hat._

"_And you are?"_

_The man smirked._

" _Someone who's sorreh t' see you fall so hard, Mista Trusedale."_

_At any other time, Zane would've been a little unnerved by talking to a man in a dirty back alley, but he was getting a massive hang over and he didn't want to think too hard._

" _Look, was there something you wanted?" He asked irritably. The man tapped his cane once against the ground, and laughed. Zane growled as the sound grated on his already spent nerves._

" _What a strange question. 'Course Ah want sumthin'. Everehbodeh wants __**sumthin'**__, Zane, even you."_

" _And what would you know about that? Or me, for that matter" Zane resisted the urge to hit the man._

" _You'd be surprahsed." The man said, laughter still evident in his tone. " Ah know you wanna win, Zane. Ah know you wanna prove them all wrong when they say that yo' career is ova. Ah know you wanna get back in the game so bad that you'll do __**anehthin'**__ to show yo' not the weakling they think you are."_

" _Are you gonna get to the point of this little spiel or not?" Zane pinched the bridge of his nose._

" _Brandy giving you trouble? Or maybe it was cognac. Or maybe scotch. Either way, it's gunna be coming back up pretteh soon, Zane. But you know that, don'tcha? 'Cause you do this evereh nahght. Have been for a whahle now, ain't that rahght?"_

" _What...?"_

" _You think Ah don't know, Zane? You think the world doesn't know? Everehbodeh knows. Poor Zane Trusedale couldn't take losin' so he drowns his sorrows in booze evereh nahght. Pretteh soon, you'll be pickin' up a 'ladeh of th' evenin'' to keep you companeh."_

" _What do you want?" Zane yelled, ignoring the pain it caused. He was hung-over, angry, and about two seconds away from driving his fist into the guy's face._

" _An oppoturniteh."_

" _To do what?"_

" _Whah, to help you, Zane!"_

" _Help me?"_

" _Ah wanna help you get back on top. Ah wanna help you prove them all wrong, Zane."_

" _Why?" Zane narrowed his eyes suspiciously. " What's in it for you?"_

" _A little recognition, a little fame." The man shrugged artlessly. " The usual things."_

" _What exactly is it that you're proposing here?"_

_The man looked him dead in eye._

" _Ever heard o' underground duelin' befo'?"_

" _The illegal games?" Zane's eyes widened. " No way. Not a chance in hell. You're crazy!"_

_He started to walk away, pushing past the man. He needed to get back to his apartment and find those painkillers in his bathroom cabinet. He needed to swallow half the bottle to get the pounding drum in his head to stop. He needed to get away while he still had the strength to refuse the man's offer, because if he stayed much longer, he might just give in and take him up on it, and prove, once again, that he was never going to measure up to Jaden Yuki._

" _Ah heard about yo' li'l brother." _

_Zane froze._

" _Brave li'l thing, standin' up fo' you and takin' yo' place. Musta been hard on you, not bein' able to lift a finger to help him."_

_Zane turned around very slowly. The man's back was to him, but the shock coursing through him like a river all but blinded him to the world._

" _How...did you..."_

" _Y' even had to relah on somebodeh else t' save him, rahght?" The man turned around. " Because you were too weak t' go get him yo'self."_

" _I...I..." Zane stuttered. The man walked forward, and put a hand on his shoulder, leaning forward until he could whisper in Zane's ear._

" _Ah could make you strong enough so that would neva happen again."_

_Zane's stomach heaved and then he was on his knees, throwing up on the ground just next to the man's feet, hacking and coughing and trying to breathe. Above him the man gave a disapproving noise with his tongue._

" _How the mahghteh have fallen." He used his cane, digging the tip into Zane's chin, to force Zane to look at him. Zane looked up wearily, his gut still turning._

" _Listen t' me, Zane, Ah can help you. Come to the docks this Saturday. Warehouse numba eleven. Be prepared t'do whateva it takes." He pulled a card out of his coat pocket and flicked it down to land on Zane's knee. Then his tipped his hat to the boy, removed his cane, and walked out of the alley. Zane stayed, on his knees, staring after him without really seeing him. Finally, long after the man had faded from sight, Zane made to get up, his legs shaking as he put his weight on them. A piece of white fluttered down to land by his feet, and he picked it up, turning it over._

_Inscribed in plain, black block letters were the words:_

**Mr. Shroud- Duelist Promoter**

* * *

" Wait, Shroud?" Aster interrupted, looking pale. " As in, Vincent Shroud? Zane, have you lost your mind? That guy is dangerous!"

" Keep out of it, Phoenix!" Zane snarled raspily, his face twisting into a murderous glare the second he took his eyes off of his brother. Syrus was standing across the dueling field from him, sweaty, panting, and wincing when he moved his wrist too much. The conductors on his wrists and neck crackled with energy, ready to unleash another bout of brutal electricity on the brothers. Syrus was abnormally pale and his bottom lip was nearly bitten through, as he kept latching onto it in an effort not to scream. While he hadn't let out a sound the first time he'd been shocked (save for a little noise of surprise), as he steadily lost more lifepoints, and the shocks had come faster and faster, one after the other, the Ra had gotten paler and his shouts of pain had become harder to keep in.

" Hey." He said weakly, trying to smile at Aster. The pro-star flinched at the sight of the collar around his neck. " Where's Lia?"

" In class." Aster said, speaking softly. " She's fine."

Syrus smiled.

" That's good."

Aster blinked, feeling his stomach beginning to turn, and suddenly very grateful that he'd insisted Lia go back to class without stopping to look at the duel.

" H-How are you doing?"

" He's fine!" Zane interrupted, snarling at Aster. "My little brother is perfectly fine, so back off!"

"Back off?" Aster whipped around to face the older boy. " Zane, you're _hurting_ him!"

" I'm showing him my power! I'm letting him know that he can rely on me to protect him from anything!"

" Zane, you keep this up and you're gonna kill him!"

" _Shut up_!" Zane roared. Aster took a step back, his eyes wide. " I would _never_ do that to him! He's perfectly safe. Syrus endured the Sacred Beasts for weeks before we could get to him! He's used to pain."

" It's not the shocks that hurt." Syrus whispered to Aster. " It's...well... it's..."

He gave Zane a long, hard look, and Aster's eyes narrowed in understanding.

" I'm not okay with this." He said just as softly, walking to Syrus' side. The blue-haired boy nodded.

" I know. But I agreed to it, and I have to see this through to the end." He looked up at Aster pleadingly. " He's my brother. He may not be much, but he's still my brother, and I went to the Beasts to protect him last year. I love him."

Aster sighed, running his hand through his hair.

" Fine. If that's what you want. I'll be over here if you need me." He walked over to one of the large rocks and leaned against it, glaring at Zane. Syrus gave him a weak grin.

" Thanks, Aster."

" Syrus!"

The boy's head shot up as Jaden and Hassleberry came running up. Jaden had a look of horror on his face, which only intensified as he took in the collar and wristbands Syrus was wearing. Behind him, Hassleberry's eyes seemed to darken to jungle green, and his pupils slitted, giving him a dangerous, reptilian look. Syrus let a bright smile light up his face, and, despite the way his arm protested, brought his hand up to wave to his friends.

" Hassleberry! Aniki! Hey!" He was so preoccupied with waving at his friends that he missed the way Zane blanched. Aster, who was watching Zane carefully, noticed the feverish, crazed look enter his eyes and pushed off the boulder, his eyes wide.

"Syrus-"

" What did you call him?"

Syrus turned back around, confusion evident on his face. Zane was staring at with a mixture of horror and anger, his face paler than Syrus', and his eyes lit up with no friendly light. Syrus turned fully to face his brother, eyes narrowing in preparation. In preparation of what, he didn't quite know, but something inside him told him that whatever was going through Zane's head at the moment, it was going to end badly. A year ago, Syrus would've cowered before such a look. As it was, he gave himself a pat on the back for feeling the need to face his brother head on.

" What, Zane?"

" What did..." Zane swallowed thickly. " ...What did you...call him?"

He pointed at Jaden.

Syrus took a steadying breath.

" Aniki." He answered, and felt uncertainly swirl in his gut as Zane's jaw tightened.

" Doesn't that...Doesn't that..." Zane seemed oddly out of breath. " Doesn't it mean..."

" Big brother." Syrus supplied, seeing no point in beating around the bush.

Zane staggered as if struck in the face. His bangs fell down into his eyes, and when he spoke, it was in a small, pleading voice.

"But...But..._I'm_ your brother."

Syrus took a deep breath.

"Of course you are, Zane. But Jaden is important to me too. I wanted to show him that. I wanted to let him know how much his friendship means to me-"

But Zane cut him off by raising his head so that his eyes bore into Syrus'. The violent rage in those eyes stopped Syrus in his tracks, the words he'd been trying to get out dying in his throat.

" _I'm_ you brother!" Zane roared. "_ Me_! Not him! I'm the one you should depend on! I'm the one who should be protecting you, not him! I'm the only one you should call your brother, Syrus!"

" Zane, calm down!" Syrus tried to reason, but Zane appeared to be beyond it.

" I said I'd show you, right? I said I'd show you that I had the power to protect you! Haven't you been paying attention this whole duel? Don't you see that I can look after you? I'm strong enough now, Sy! You don't need him anymore! You don't need-"

" I'll always need him!" Syrus snapped, tears starting to gather in his eyes. " I'll always need Jaden's friendship. He doesn't try to protect me, Zane! He makes me strong enough to face my own problems! But I'll always need him, always need to know that he believes in me! Just like I'll always need Alexis and Atticus and Lia! I _need_ them, Zane, I really do! They make me strong and they make me believe in myself and if it was for them, then I think I could go back into that place and face those monsters all over again! Don't make me choose, Zane! I love my friends, and I love y-"

" If I have to hurt you to show you that I'm the only one who can protect you, then I will!" Zane said suddenly, slapping a card down onto his disk. " I play Warp Beam! Now, I select two monsters on my side of the field, and by sending to monsters to the Grave and reducing their attack points to 600, my monsters can attack you directly! And I choose my Dark keel and my Dark Horn! In addition, if my Dark Edge cuts its points in half, it can join in the strike!"

" Zane, you'll _kill _him!" Aster shouted, racing forward as the three monsters surged towards the boy. Syrus glanced down at his face down card warily. He made to activate it, when he was suddenly yanked back, fingers digging into the space between the collar he wore and his neck. They tugged furiously, nails scrapping against the back of his neck, and he floundered, choking. The collar strained against his front, his jugular hammering against the cold metal. Sparks started to dance over it.

" Off!" A voice snarled behind him. " Come off!"

"Abeni?" He gasped, turning his head to look at her. In front of him, Zane's monsters rushed forward.

The dark-skinned girl offered Syrus a smile that was belied by the sparks that danced in her eyes.

" What...What are you doing?" He gasped as she tugged again.

" Getting this thing offa you. Hold still." She braced her legs on the ground and started to work at the clasp.

" Ben. I hafta activate my card now."

" So?" The tugging got more insistent.

" It's Life Force."

" Life For-that'll make you lose points!" She shrieked in his ear.

Syrus winced.

" Exactly, so you gotta let go, or else you'll get shocked too."

" No." Syrus felt his jaw drop.

" What?"

" I've been watching so far. These things tighten up when they shock you. I've already loosened the clasp a little. If I keep my fingers here and pull hard enough, I should be able to get it undone."

" You'll get hurt!" Syrus gasped. He could feel Cyberdark Keel's hot breath on his face.

" Do or die time, Syrus."

" But-!"

" I'll be fine, I promise!"

" Why are you doing this?" Syrus' arm moved to activate the card. As Life Force flipped up, and the heat of the monsters' attacks flooded towards him, he felt Abeni's fingers tightened around the collar.

" Because I like you." Was lost to the roar of the dragon and the plumes of smoke rising up from the explosion, and both their screams as the energy ripped through both of them. Syrus felt his back arch, the current soaring under his skin and stinging his blood, every nerve in his body crying out in protest. Distantly, behind him he could hear Abeni crying out to, her fingers clamping down on the collar in a knee-jerk reaction to the pain. Syrus wanted to comfort her, wanted to tell her it was alright, wanted to push her away from him and shocks, but the collar tightened on his neck and he found he couldn't breathe, it was so tight. Her nails bit into the back of his neck and he felt little drops of blood dribble down into his shirt. There was a brief moment where he wondered if the collar was going to suffocate him, then a sharp pull, and then the crack of the clasp unhinging and the collar being torn away. It landed with a crash on the ground nearby, still fizzing with power. The connection broken, the wrist shockers went dead, and Syrus collapsed to his knees, gasping. Behind him, he heard Abeni hit the ground, her head falling to rest against his shoulder blades.

" ...T-Told you..." She muttered in between gulps of air. Syrus let out a breathless laugh.

" What did you do?" Zane shouted, his face almost black with fury. Syrus raised his head, the effort almost undoing him, and scowled when he saw that his brother's life points were as steady as ever.

" Sh-She..." Syrus tried to explain, but the words were too much for his mouth and he fell silent, panting.

" You ruined it!" Zane accused, glaring at Abeni. " You ruined everything!"

" Are you _nuts_?" Aster skidded to his knees beside the two. "You coulda been killed!" He glared at Abeni, who gave him a cheeky grin in response.

Jaden was on Syrus' other side.

" Sy? Are you okay? Talk to me!"

Syrus raised his head.

" Hey Aniki." Jaden smiled back.

"Hey otouto."

" Don't call him that!" Zane wailed, almost as if in anguish. He pointed to a card at his side. " I play my trap! Rebirth Judgement!"

"Haven't you caused enough damage?" Aster shouted, getting to his feet. Zane sneered at him.

" I don't expect an orphan like you to understand something as precious as family."

Aster went white.

" What?"

" Zane!" Jaden jumped to Aster's defence. " That was below the belt!"

" Stay out of this, Jaden." Zane said darkly, glaring at Jaden with venom. " Now, with this card, I-"

But whatever he was planning to use his Rebirth Judgement for would remain a mystery, because at that precise moment, both his and Syrus' duel disk started blinking and beeping sharply. Zane looked down at his in shock, his jaw slowly unhinging to hang open as the disk gave a long beep followed by a short blip, and then went dark, the monsters and cards fading from the field into nothingness. Across from him, Syrus' side did the same.

" What the...?"

" Automatic shut off." Jaden said, smiling grimly. Zane looked at him sharply.

" What?"

" The new disks have a feature that shuts the disk down automatically if it's activated a certain number of times per day." Jaden explained, his almost vindictive smile still in place. " Looks like you over exceeded the limit."

" You have got to be shitting me-"

" This duel...is in...inconclusive." Abeni struggled to her feet. Hassleberry was at her side in an instant, steadying her. " Your disks won't turn back on until tomorrow, so this duel is inconclusive."

She levelled Zane with a glare dark enough to match the one he'd given Jaden.

" Get the fuck out of our sight."

Zane narrowed his eyes at her.

" Who are you to make a request like that?"

Abeni lifted her head high, tossing her dark hair over her shoulder, her green eyes nearly shooting fiery daggers at Zane.

" As someone who cares about Syrus more than someone like _you_ could possible understand, I'm telling you to leave." Her gaze intensified. "And that wasn't a request."

" How dare you! I'm his _brother_-"

" Zane." Jaden interrupted. His voice was soft, but there was something very dangerous in his tone. His bangs had fallen over his eyes and his shadow seemed to stretch out longer and wider than it had before. " Leave."

Zane sneered at him.

" Sorry, _Jay_, but I don't take orders from you. Now move aside, I-"

" Just go!" Syrus shouted his voice hoarse. Zane froze, his eyes wide even as he paled.

" But, Sy..."

" I can't see you right now! I don't want you near me for a while!" Tears slid down his cheeks. " Gimme some time Zane, then maybe I'll be able to look at you and not feel sick, but for now, stay the hell away from me."

" Syrus..." Zane whispered, before his shoulders slumped in defeat. Quietly, so quiet that he might as well have been a shadow, Zane slunk away, his coat tails whipping out in the wind. Syrus stayed where he was, head down, tears streaming down his face and hitting the marble below. Hassleberry started to break up the crowd, and Aster and Jaden helped Syrus to his feet. Without warning, he yanked off his duel disk and threw it to the ground. It clanked as it did so, and Syrus made to kick it, but Jaden put an arm around him and shook his head. Syrus sagged against his friend, and let Abeni thread her fingers through his, even giving them a squeeze. They started off towards the Red Dorm, Aster volunteering to stay behind and break the news to Lia. As the last of the crowd dispersed, Hassleberry hurried over to Syrus' downed duel disk and picked it up, dusting off the sides.

"Huh. That's odd." He muttered to himself as he hurried to catch up with Jaden and the others. " The set limit is four duels, but the disk says Sahrus only dueled in two t'day. Weird."

And he picked up the pace, calling to Jaden, and promptly forgot about the discrepancy.

* * *

The triumphant return of the Automatic Shut-Off! Whoo-hoo! Chekhov's Gun, thank you TVTropes!

Sorry, I've been waiting to use that one for a while now. So yeah, Drunk!Zane.

...

You have no idea how much I panicked about writing this. For one thing, I've never written drunk characters before. For another...My version of Hell Kaiser scares the living crap outta me. Seriously, if Society!Chazz made me want to hide under the covers, Hell Kaiser makes me want to get out of the country, FAST. There's just something so...unnerving about him. I mean, Chazz was clearly under the control of another force. Scary yess, but he wasn't in control of his actions. Zane IS. There's no outside force controlling him. He's just batshit, all on his own. Somehow, that's even scarier than Chazz hopped up on Light.

Oh, and 'Vincent' means 'conqueror'. Seemed appropriate, and I don't know if Shroud was ever given a real first name. I never heard one in the episodes that featured him.

MoS

* * *

And now, an omake to lighten the mood!

Lia blinked as she walked down the hall. There was an odd noise coming from one of the classrooms. Aster, walking beside her, glanced over her head, trying to make out anything in the open crack of the doorway that was just across the hall.

" What the hell?" He muttered. Lia shrugged.

" Trust me, it's better not to ask." She held up a hand when he made to protest. " Take it from someone who's been here longer than you. It's better. Not. To ask."

Aster eyed her dubiously, but there was a fondness in his eyes that made Lia feel a little less numb.

" If you're sure..."

" Positive." She nodded. " Now, are we going to go see Syrus or-"

At that moment, the door burst open in front of them. Lia's mind registered pale skin and shouting, before her brain allowed itself to catch up to what her eyes were seeing.

Bastian Misawa. Naked as the day he'd been born.

Lia squeaked, throwing her hands over her mouth when she was fairly sure they should go over her eyes. Without meaning to, said eyes began to drift down taking in the well built chest, and the flexing muscles, and oooh, Bastian had some abs and just a little lower there was a trail of dark hair leading down to-

" Oh _HELL_ no!"

A soft, but strong hand clamped over her eyes.

" You put some clothes on immediately!" Alexis' voice sounded from behind her, and suddenly, Lia was dragged against a well-endowed chest, squeaking even more. A second later, another voice joined the blonde's.

" What the-! Lexi, shield your eyes!"

A second hand slapped onto Lia's face, and from the shouts of aggrivation that Alexis was giving, the Ra could only assume that Atticus had also decided to try and blind his sister. Bastian was still ranting on about freedom and dueling and something else her fried brain wouldn't register, and there was the sound of footsteps echoing loudly in the halls. And then,

" Bastian! Hang on a minute you dumbass!" Jaden's voice yelled as more footsteps sounded. " Hi guys!"

" Hi Jay!" Atticus called back pleasantly at the same time his sister shrieked, " Jaden! Get my moron of a brother offa me!" But from the sound of Jaden's far off reply, he'd already taken off after Bastian.

Both Alexis and Atticus chose that moment to let go of Lia, who stumbled into Aster, feeling very dazed. Somewhere beside her, the Rhodes siblings had started arguing, but Aster gave her a very frightened look.

" What the hell just happened?" Lia shrugged on instinct, her mind fuzzy and all but disconnected. " Better not to ask?"

Lia simply squeaked in agreement.


	46. Repairing Ties

Warnings: My attempts at being sappy and deep at the same time. Also, more drinking. This time it's underaged, and stop looking at me like that, tons of people got drunk in high school, and I wasn't one of them, so I'm writing purely based on imagination and half remembered stories and oh god, this is gonna be bad!

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_.

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

" Hey." Alexis said as she sank into a crouching position. " Can we talk?"

Lia's eyes flicked up from the book she was reading, but that was the only acknowledgement she gave the older girl.

" Sure."

Alexis frowned at the lack of communication.

" Lia? Why are you avoiding me?"

" I'm not avoiding you." Lia said without looking up from the book.

" Yes, you are."

" No, I'm not. I just have a lot of things to do."

" Then why won't you look at me?" Alexis asked softly. Although her face as hidden behind the book, Lia's hands tightened on the cover. The blonde sighed, and ploughed ahead.

" I mean, I just got out of the hospital a few days ago, and you haven't said two words to me since." Alexis bit her lower lip, and then almost laughed as she realized she was imitating Lia's nervous tic.

" I've been really busy. I had to catch up on my work."

" And even when I was in that bed, you didn't come and visit me." Alexis continued as if Lia hadn't said anything. The Academic ducked further into her book. " I just kept lying there and waiting to see if you were gonna come talk to me, but you never did, and, well..." She reached out to touch the younger girl's shoulder, but stopped, her hand hanging in the air aimlessly.

Lia flinched; just a small movement, but Alexis saw it nonetheless. Her hand retracted, the fingers curling into her palm uncertainly, a sad frown on her face.

" I really wasn't supposed to be doing much talking." Lia said softly, but Alexis' eyes flew immediately to the bandages that still encircled her friend's throat. Her hand stretched out again, not stopping this time, and carefully brushed the edge of the white gauze with tentative fingers. Lia jumped, shuffling back a little.

" Watch it!" She clapped her hands over the injury. " That's still a tender area!"

" I don't even know what happened..." Alexis whispered.

" Makes two of us." Lia scowled.

" You don't know how you got them?"

" Can we please not talk about this?" The younger girl replied waspishly. Alexis let her jaw clamp shut with a snap. Lia hunched over her book even more, steadily avoiding eye contact.

" Sure."

" Good." Alexis frowned at the clipped tone.

" Why are you acting like this?"

" Like what?"

" Like... Like..." Alexis felt her brow furrow, moving her lips soundlessly as she tried to come up with an adequate description.

" Like what?" From her tone, the Obelisk guessed that Lia was probably trying to sound hostile. There was an underlying snappishness, a bite that Alexis hadn't heard in the younger girl's voice since early the previous year. But it came out soft, much softer than Lia had intended. She sounded small, almost a little lost and scared, and Alexis felt the words she'd been searching for form without her even realizing it.

" Like you don't want me around." She said, as softly as Lia had. " Like you're scared of me."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lia's grip on the book tighten.

" It's not...That isn't it." Was the terse reply. Alexis bit her lower lip.

" Then what is it?"

" Nothing."

Alexis shot forward, grabbing the younger girl's arm and pulling her around to face the other girl. The book dropped out of her hands and fell to the floor. A pair of wide hazel eyes stared into Alexi's own. A cold shard entered her chest as she took in the fear that danced through those eyes before Lia hid it under a layer of anger.

" What the hell!" She yelled. " You can't just manhandle me!"

" What's wrong?" The older girl fought to keep her voice even. Lia's struggles increased, her hands curled into fists and smacking Alexis' shoulders and chest.

" Leggo!" Alexis only tightened her grip.

" Damnit Lia, tell me what's wrong!"

" Nothing! Let go!"

" That's bullshit and you know it!"

" Let! Go!" Lia shoved at her frantically. The movement jostled the bandages around her neck, and butterfly clip that kept them in place unhinging and hitting the floor with a 'ping'. The white strips fell away to reveal the skin underneath. Alexis felt her stomach turn.

The bruises had faded, somewhat. Instead of a thick, branding black, they'd toned down to angry purple, and a sickly shade of yellow. They ran the length of her throat, wrapping around her jugular, which the older Obelisk could see pumping furiously under the thin layer of marred skin. Her brown eyes flitted down frantically, swallowing hard when she realized how far down the bandages went. Trembling, she reached a shaking hand up.

" Lia...what..." Her voice came out as little more than a whisper. Her throat was clogged up with something, a constricting lump that pulsated in time with her heart and choked up all her words. The hand that had been gripping the younger girl's shoulder fell away, and Lia shifted back, her eyes dropping to the ground and refusing to meet Alexis' horrified gaze.

" ...H-How..." Alexis' fingers brushed the yellow skin. Lia flinched, her hand fisting in the loose material of her tank top. But she didn't move away. Alexis pressed her hand a little more firmly, mapping out the bruises with her own fingers. The markings were thicker than her fingers, and they stretched farther than Alexis could make her own digits reach. From the colouring, and the length of time Lia had been wearing the bandages, whoever had done this to the girl must've been pressing very hard. Alexis shuddered, her hand spasming against Lia's delicate neck.

" How..." She tried again, her voice raw as she pushed it past the lump. Lia shook her head, still not looking up.

" I thought we weren't going to talk about it." She was whispering too, and somehow, it made Alexis feel better, because it meant that she wasn't the only one who was on the verge of breaking. She was about to fall apart, because while she couldn't remember what she'd done as a member of the Society of the Light, she at least knew that she had no bruises that had mysteriously appeared on her body with no explanation. And the idea that it was Lia that someone had done such a thing, had put their hands on her throat (her thin, suddenly fragile throat, with her small, easily breakable bones, and her delicate, bruising skin; suddenly, everything about Lia looked little and like it could be smashed into a hundred pieces with no effort at all. Suddenly, Lia looked every bit as vulnerable and weak as Atticus must've seen her, on that day almost a year ago. Suddenly, she was something that could easily be swept away, and in the split second she became that thing she strived so hard not to be, Alexis knew she would die before she let the Light of Destruction so much as _touch_ the younger girl), made her sick to her stomach.

" I didn't...I didn't..." Her hand spasmed again. " ...I didn't...I couldn't _know_..."

" It's not as bad as it looks." Lia murmured. " It doesn't hurt that much. Not anymore."

" But...but..."

" I...when..."

" Lexi." Lia finally glanced up. She was pale, but at least her eyes were dry, which was better than Alexis, who looked like she was going to burst into tears at any second. Her small hand closed around Alexis' wrist, and pulled it back. It trembled in the younger girl's, and Alexis' mouth moved soundlessly, her whole body shaking with the effort to keep from collapsing.

" Let it go."

And Alexis flung herself against Lia, her arms wrapped around the younger girl's shoulders, the tears streaming down her face as she buried it in her bruised neck. The bandages shifted and moved under her cheek, and she tightened her arms, helplessly rubbing her face against the bruised skin. She tried to rub soothing circles on Lia's back, but instead her hands shook and spasmed so much that the motions were sporadic and broken. Eventually, she gave up trying, and gripped the material of Lia's green tank top, crinkling it under her desperate fingers.

" You're hurt." She whispered desperately. Lia was silent in her arms. " You're hurt and I...I didn't do anything! You got hurt and I wasn't there for you and...and...and..."

Lia shifted quietly, stiff and uncomfortable and clearly not enjoying Alexis' embrace. The older girl felt her heart splinter a little more at the way Lia leaned away from her. She nuzzled the other girl's ear, still shaking like a leaf.

" I'm sorry." She breathed at length. Lia nodded, her face half buried in Alexis' hair.

" Okay."

" You're still mad, aren't you?" Alexis pulled back, just enough to look into Lia's eyes. The Academic looked at Alexis' nose, and refused to go any higher.

" Wasn't mad in the first place."

" Lia." Alexis' fingers dug into the shoulders she had started gripping. " Look at me."

Lia stared firmly at her nose.

" Lia, please."

The shoulders shuddered, but her eyes didn't rise.

" Lia, _please_."

" I can't." Lia pushed away from her. At least, she tried to. Alexis held on tight, her nails leaving indents in Lia's skin through her two tops. Lia stared at a point just over Alexis' shoulder.

" Look at me." She pleaded, shaking the girl a little.

" I _can't_." She stressed the word, like it would explain away her behaviour, like it would make Alexis understand why everything was suddenly so wrong and why Lia refused to (couldn't) look at her. Alexis felt the lump in throat swell until it was pressing at her skin, her pulse pounding against it and it pounding right back, a thick, fast drum beat that echoed into her ears and made everything else, even the sound of her own breathing (heaving, she was heaving, Her chest was heaving and she was crying and she probably looked like a totally mess, with her hair all over the place and sticking to her wet cheeks, but she just couldn't bring herself to care, because how could she? How could she care about her appearance when Lia was slipping farther and farther away from her with each passing second?) a dull rush of white noise.

She started shaking Lia harder.

" Look at me!" She cried finally. " Look at me! You don't have to say anything, you don't have to tell me anything, just _look at me_!"

Lia shook her head, she bangs falling down to shade her eyes.

And Alexis grabbed her face, hauling her head up, even as Lia squeezed her eyes shut.

" _Look at me_!" She shouted, the cry breaking over the last syllable, echoing in the emptied hallway. Lia kept her eyes shut, shaking and shuddering in Alexis grasp. A drop fell on her thumb, and the older girl gulped when she noticed the little tears gathered at the edges of Lia's eyes.

" Lia..." She whispered, swiping her thumb across the Academic's cheekbone.

Then a hand curled over her shoulder, and pulled.

" Get away from her!" Aster Phoenix shouted as Alexis went tumbling backwards. He stepped in front of a wide-eyed Lia, glaring at the blonde so hard Alexis could almost feel the daggers piercing her skin.

" Haven't you done enough damage?" He snapped. Behind him, Lia carefully got to her feet, stumbling a little, and reaching for the wall to steady herself. Instead, Aster turned on his heel and brought an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.

" You okay?" Alexis heard him murmur, and a stab of jealousy (Lia didn't push him away, didn't duck out from under his arm, didn't even stiffen when a complete s_tranger_ held her, but pushed and tugged and fought to get away when Alexis, her _best friend_, tried to get her to look at the blonde) shot through her.

" Fine." Lia muttered, shrugging off his arm. " Just fine."

" Did she say anything to you? Call you anything?" Aster's eyes narrowed. " Did she hit you again?"

" No. Aster, she doesn't even rem-"

" Hit her?" Alexis jumped to her feet, furious indignation pumping through her veins. " _Hit her_? I would _never_-"

" Hate to break it to ya, honey, but never came and went a few months ago." Aster sneered, stepping in front of Lia to block her from view. From what little Alexis could see of the girl, her shoulders were hunched.

" What are you talking about?" The blonde bit out through gritted teeth.

Aster's eyes widened incredulously.

" You don't _remember_?"

" Chazz doesn't either!" Lia hissed from behind him. " Let it go."

" You don't remember?" Aster ploughed ahead, ignoring the way Lia glared at his back. " Nothing? Slapping her? Calling her names? Telling her you hated her?"

" What?" Alexis said softly. " I d-didn't...I _wouldn't_..."

" You tore into her like a stray into a hunk of meat!"

" Aster! Not helping!"

Alexis trembled.

" I...I d-did that...?"

Aster, apparently thrown off by the anguish in the blonde's eyes, nodded slowly.

" Yeah, you...you were a total bitch to her. You, ah, said you'd never lower yourself to be her friend. And, uh, ...that, uh..."

" You said that I made you sick." Lia said, her tone flat. The world dropped out from under Alexis' feet.

" I...said that?" If the pallor of her face didn't give away her anguish, the horror in her voice certainly did. Lia, still staring at the ground, nodded briskly.

" I didn't mean it." The blonde took a tentative step forward. " I couldn't have meant it. Lia, you're my best friend."

" I know." Lia said, but it was strained. " I know that. I knew it then. But Lex, it _hurt_."

She finally looked at her.

There were tears Alexis knew the younger girl was never going to shed swimming in those eyes, glazing them over and making Lia look like she wasn't focusing. The look in them, the terrified distrust that darkened her whole face (closed it off, like a door being slammed shut. Suddenly, her hair was in a short ponytail at the top of her head and she had on a turtleneck despite the heat of the island, and, in the span of a second, Lia was the cold, bitter girl she'd been the previous year, and she was slipping out of Alexis' grasp, falling away where no one could get to her, back into that dark, angry place behind the thorns) made Alexis swallow hard, the lump harder than steel, and the rush in her ears so loud it drowned out her heart. She took a shaky step forward.

" I'm sorry."

Lia trembled, but didn't flinch as Alexis tentatively started to approach.

" I'm so sorry." Aster glared at the blonde. " I'm so, so sorry. Whatever I said, whatever I did, I'm so sorry."

" You think that makes it okay?" The pro-star snapped, his eyes like flint. " You think you can just _apologize_ and make it all ok-"

" Isn't that what you did? For your friend?" Lia asked suddenly. Her fingers were barely brushing her throat. Aster's steam seemed to leave him, his anger deflating as he turned to look at the Academic. She wasn't outright glaring, but there was a spark of defiance in her still swimming eyes.

Aster scrambled for words.

" I just...it's just that...well, you see..." He flushed, rubbing the back of his head.

Lia snorted.

" Yeah, fucks with your logic, don't it?"

Alexis reached her trembling fingers forward, but the younger girl ducked under them, half scowling at her.

" Lia..." She knew she was pleading. She knew she sounded weak and she hated herself for it, because now, of all times, was the moment for her to be brave and strong and fierce.

" I've got to go to class." She muttered, reaching down to pick up her book. Alexis felt her throat close up with tears. Lia was moving past her, too fast for Alexis to catch up, and too hurt for the older girl to make amends. She felt like the world was crumbling out from under her feet. A dry sob tried to work its way out of her throat, but she clamped down on it, because it was the only thing she could do. Crying her eyes out wasn't going to change anything. It wouldn't fix what the Light had made her break, and it certainly wasn't going to put everything back to the way it was. She'd learned that lesson the hard way when her brother had all but vanish from her life for what she had thought was going to be forever.

At the end of the hall, Lia paused. Aster frowned as he noticed the grip on her book was with a white knuckled hand.

" Lexi." The voice was scratchy, heavy with things Alexis didn't want to name, but it was still her name, and Lia was saying it, and that had to mean something.

The younger girl's form shuddered.

" L-Listen." Her voice was shaking. " …My mom…she's getting married this summer. In July. She, uh…she said that…I could bring a guest. …If I wanted to."

Lia didn't turn around, didn't look at Alexis, but hope welled up inside her so fast and so strong it knocked the air from her lungs.

" Lia…" She breathed, and the girl's shoulder relaxed just an inch.

" Lexi…" Alexis could almost see Lia worrying her lower lip, " …do you…do you…I mean, would you…come to France this summer for the wedding?"

And as much as Alexis wanted to run forward and embrace the girl (because maybe everything wasn't so hopeless. Maybe the world wasn't falling out from under her, and maybe, just maybe, they could all make it alright again.), she held back, aware of just how much it must've cost the younger girl to make the offering. Instead, she gave a trembling little smile that threatened to grow into a grin that could split her face in two.

" I'd love to."

And for the first time since she'd regained herself, as Lia ran down the hallway and into an open door (was that a stain of pink across her cheeks?), Alexis allowed herself to hope.

* * *

When Aster answered the knock later that night, he was not expecting to open the door on Lia Shanner.

In all honesty, he'd been almost certain that she'd go to the dance that was being held. Not that he could really picture her dancing. Lia, in his mind at least, would stay on the sidelines, in the company of whatever friend wasn't dancing at the time, talking and smiling, and being coaxed into laughing until she was almost herself again. And then, maybe, towards the end of the night, or even for the last song, someone (probably Atticus, the flirt) would haul her up out of her chair and pull her onto the dance floor, twirling and laughing as she half-heartedly protested. She end up flushed and pretending to be angry, but there would be a smile in her bright hazel eyes, and that, as far as Aster was concerned, should be good enough for anyone.

And then he realized that he was actually _fantasizing_ about what she was going to do at the school dance, and groaned.

" Phoenix, you are in _way_ too deep, dude."

So it was to his utter shock that she turned up on the deck of his boat, a little pink in the face, not meeting his eyes, and looking both out of place and like she'd always belonged there.

" Uh, Lia?"

Without saying anything, without even looking up to meet his gaze, the brunette pulled a bottle of wine out from behind her back, grasped by the long neck. Aster blinked.

" I assume you have glasses." She said, and then glared without any heat. " Well, are you going to invite me in, or what?"

Starting, Aster jumped aside, holding the door open for her. She walked in, trying to put on an air of confidence, but only succeeding in looking more nervous. While she'd had breakfast on the deck with him, and stood by the peer several times before, she'd never actually gone into the interior of the boat. Aster supposed it felt too personal.

" So," he asked, closing the door, " to what do I owe the pleasure?"

" I need someone to get drunk with." She said bluntly. Aster couldn't help the snort that followed.

" And _I'm_ the lucky candidate?"

" You're the only one I know who isn't going dancing tonight." Lia bit her lip. " And…you know."

" No." He raised a brow. " I don't."

" We've got…stuff in common." Her face was rapidly going from pink to red. Aster felt his heart stutter a little at the sight, and, for a brief moment, said a fond farewell to his pride.

" So you wanna get drunk with me because we both have father issues and we can gripe to each other about them, is that it?"

Lia dared to meet his eyes.

" And also because I think you'll be a fun drunk." A pause. " Oh, and I'm a really friendly drunk, and I can trust you not to try anything with me. Besides, you won't make fun of me for…the stuff I might say."

" Oh?" Now he was intrigued. Walking around her, he opened one of the cupboards in the kitchen unit, grabbing a pair of wine glasses from it. Holding one out to her, he smirked.

" Oh yes." Lia returned the looking, grabbing the offered glass. " Prepare to hear my _entire_ family history, Phoenix. And my many exploits in America for summer vacation." She sighed. " And probably that one very unfortunate incident in a small village in eastern Norway that will haunt me until the day I die."

" This is going to be interesting, isn't it?" Aster took a seat at his dining room table. Lia placed the wine down, and went back to the kitchen, rummaging around for a corkscrew. Aster leaned back in his chair, watching her, and very nearly went tumbling over as he realized that Lia Shanner, Miss Covered-From-Chin-To-Ankles, was parading around in a loose white hoodie and a pair of jeans shorts.

A pair of very flattering jeans shorts.

' Jesus friggin' Christ.' Aster hissed mentally, trailing his eyes down her form. Whatever deficiencies Lia seemed to think she had when it came to her body were more than made up for by the image presented to him at that moment.

Lia had _legs_. Not just legs, just _Legs_; a pair of long, smooth, pale legs that looked even longer in those shorts and were wreaking absolute havoc on Aster. Lia was a little tall for her age, still standing about an inch or so over Hassleberry, and her eyes on level with the top of Jaden's head. All that excess height was clearly in her legs, usually hidden under a set of loose jeans that in no way did her justice in Aster's opinion.

' Why the hell would you hide those?' Aster thought to himself, most of his higher level thinking processes shut down as the girl made her way back to the table, corkscrew in hand. ' I am in trouble. I am in a lot of trouble here. I am in shit.'

Lia plunked herself down, seemingly unaware of her companion's sudden tenseness, and crossed her legs, jamming the screw into the cork and working it out. Aster breathed a subtle sigh of relief as her legs had disappeared under the table, and tried to restructure his thoughts.

" So, what prompted this?" He gestured to the red liquid being poured into the glasses. His voice came out a little more strained than he would've liked, and Lia shot him a look.

" Just needed something to take the edge off. You sound like you could use it too."

' I'd like you to take something off alright.' Aster immediately smacked himself mentally and cursed his out of control teenage hormones. He wasn't normally a slave to them but then, the girl of his dreams (and wasn't that an ironic statement. His dream girl was a sharp-tongued, ill-tempered spitfire with a wit even sharper than her tongue. Then again, he'd always found smart girls attractive. And brunettes. And girls with big hazel eyes. And legs than seemed to go on for _miles_- he was screwing himself over again.) didn't usually take the seat across from him at his table and offer to get drunk with him.

" Well." Lia said, more to herself than to anyone else. She raised her glass. " A toast."

Aster raised his up to meet hers.

" To hope." He smiled at her.

" To those who can still hope." She gulped down half the glass, taking a deep breath when she re-surfaced. Aster sipped his.

" Weren't you raised to drink this stuff properly?" He asked. Lia actually laughed sardonically, swirling her wine around.

" Trust me, Grandmama would have my head if she could see me right now."

Aster raised a brow.

" Really now?" He raised his glass again. " To being raised right."

" I'll drink to that."

Lia downed the rest of her glass, panted a little as it rushed to her head. Once the buzz had died down, she grabbed the wine again, and poured more.

" We're gonna burn through this in no time." Aster said as Lia topped off his glass. The girl eyed him.

" Like you haven't smuggled something onto this ship with you."

" I confirm nothing."

Lia shrugged.

" Good, we'll break into the whiskey I happen to know you've got on this ship after we're done with this stuff." She held up her wine. " To the first man who ever thought up alcohol, God bless his corrupt little soul."

" To whatever prompted you to come drinking with me tonight."

Lia hesitated at his words, but drank from her glass, a little smile playing on her lips and in her eyes.

" To good company."

" I'll drink to that." Aster clinked his glass with hers. And Lia smiled the smile she'd had that day in the storm, and despite the marks on her neck or the gathering students in white coats, the two teenagers simply grinned at each other, emptied their glasses, and reached for the wine again.

* * *

Because after Zane, I need a breather too.

MoS


	47. Stretching Imagination

Warning: Atticus in 'Overprotective Big Brother' mode. Hung-over!Lia. Epiphanies on the part of Aster Phoenix. And revelations of a romantic nature all 'round. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_.

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

" So!" Atticus said loudly as he slammed his hands down onto the table. With her head in her arms, Lia's answering whimper was somewhat muffled. The pain in it was still very much heard, though.

" How're you this fine morning?" The brunet all but yelled, his grin almost breaking his face. Lia said nothing, and simply buried her head deeper into her folded arms. " Aw, c'mon! Don't be like that!" Atticus reached for her and grabbed one arm, yanking her up by it. " You look so down and out!"

Lia glared at him out of semi-glazed, irritated red eyes.

" Je. Te. Tuerai." Was all she said. Atticus just kept smiling. Throwing an arm around the younger girl's shoulders, he started swaying back and forth, talking loudly (much louder than anyone should ever realistically need to) right into her ear.

" Now, now! You weren't this much of a downer last night, were you? You really lightened up then, didn't you? Of course," and finally, his too large grin dropped to reveal a dark look, " that might've had something to do with the _alcohol_!"

The last word rang through the Obelisk Cafeteria. From her position across from Lia, Alexis' head shot up.

" Alcohol?" She repeated incredulously. " What alcohol?"

Atticus gave her a pitying look.

" Oh, you didn't know? Kitten here," he gave the shoulder under his arms a squeeze that was far too tight to be considered friendly in any way, " decided to play Bottle Fairy last night when we were all dancing, isn't that _right, KITTEN_?"

Lia dropped her head back into her hands. Jaden walked up behind them, looking confused.

" Lia got drunk last night." Atticus nodded enthusiastically. The Slifer blinked. " So what?"

" So what? _So what_? Jaden, how can you even s_ay_-"

" I mean, I saw you sneaking a few sips from that 'water bottle' last night, so I don't see what the big deal is."

Atticus' face went blank, then white, and then flushed with anger.

" I didn't myself into a stupor with a _guy_!"

" Bet'cha would've liked to." Lia muttered venomously under her breath. Atticus bopped her on the head. Hard.

" You were with a boy?" Jasmine all but shrieked as she popped up from behind Lia's chair. The Ra whimpered.

" Jazz, hang over. Keep it down."

" Right, sorry."

" No, Jasmine, it's _fine_!" Atticus was yelling again. " No need to take it easy on Lia's account! She's not _that_ hung over!"

" Alexis," Lia said without raising her head, " if your dumbass sonovabitch of a brother doesn't shut his fuckin' face within the next few minutes, you're gonna be an only child and I swear that no one will ever fuckin' find the fuckin' body because I will tear it into so many fuckin' pieces that it will take a fuckin' decade just to fuckin' assemble his fuckin' small toe!"

There was a moment of silence the followed Lia's furious rant, which continued until Syrus, who had been keeping quiet, found his voice.

" Wow. You get really foul-mouthed when you're hung over."

" Who was the boy?" Jasmine prodded, completely unaffected by the list of curses that Lia had casually thrown out.

" Go away, Jazz."

" That's not an answer!"

" Yes it is."

" But I still don't know who the boy was!"

" Maybe I don't want you to know."

" Why not? We're friends, friends tell each other stuff!"

" Jazz, I'm not telling you."

" That's stupid! I mean, it's not like you had sex with him, right?" Jasmine paused for a moment, and then went pale. " Omigod, you didn't, right? Because fifteen is still kinda young to be doing that kind of thing. I mean, it's better than fourteen, for sure, and you're closer to sixteen, but you should wait until your actually sixteenth birthday before you do stuff like that."

" Yeah, I was sixteen when I lost it." Mindy said from beside Jasmine, where she'd been standing, saying nothing. The older girl put a hand on Lia's shoulder.

" You're not a virgin?" Atticus asked, surprised. Alexis shot him a glare.

" Oh, like you can talk! You slept with that boy who was working on the ranch when you were fifteen and a half!"

" How do you know about that?" Atticus all but squeaked. His sister rolled his eyes.

" I was in the room across the hall, Atty. Why do you think I slept on the couch most of the summer?"

This did nothing to comfort her brother.

" You _heard_ us?"

" Thin walls, Atty! Thin freakin' walls!"

As the Rhodes siblings argued back and forth, Jaden carefully made his way over to where Lia was lying in apparent agony, her head still buried her folded arms and the breakfast Atticus had loudly slammed down in front of her sitting untouched by her right elbow. He gently placed a hand on the shoulder Mindy's hand wasn't occupying. After a moment, a sleepy, red-tinted hazel eye peeked out from a chink in between two loose brown curls.

" Koneko-chan." He said softly, looking serious. " You didn't, did you?"

The eye narrowed.

" I just wanna know. I won't be mad, I swear, so please-"

" For fuck's sake!" Lia jumped to her feet, the pain of her hang over forgotten as she glared at her friends. Jaden stumbled backwards, looking surprised, and Mindy all but fell into Jasmine, who had a brow raised at Lia's behaviour. Syrus, who had been trying to wake up a dozing Abeni who'd chosen his shoulder as an adequate pillow, blinked in surprise. Atticus and Alexis stopped fighting, and turned to face the red-faced girl, and even Chazz, who'd been standing sulkily in the corner the entire time, glanced up from the game he was playing on his phone. Lia took a deep breath.

" Will you all just shut the hell up?" She roared. " I didn't want to go to the dance! So I grabbed a bottle of wine I had put away, went for a walk, and decided I couldn't deal with all the shit that's been going on lately! So I went to Aster's, we got drunk, and we talked all night! That's it! _Nothing_ happened!"

" You weren't wearing a shirt!" Atticus snarled back, glaring at her. Normally, Lia would've flushed and backed down, glaring at her feet and refusing to answer any questions. Instead, her glare sharpened and her fists clenched, and she met the older Obelisk's gaze head-on.

" We were fairly gone by the time you got there, and I was trying to make a point!"

" What friggin point was that? That Phoenix is a pervert?"

" No, that I didn't have much to look at so it didn't matter if I took my top off or not!"

In the corner, Chazz rolled his eyes and snickered.

" Bullshit!" Atticus snarled. Syrus shot him a chiding look.

" Unless you two want to bring the entire Blue Dorm down here to watch this, I suggest you lower your voices. Some people got no sleep last night." He adjusted his glasses, looking pointedly at the slumbering girl hanging off his shoulder. " You're lucky Hassleberry can sleep through an earthquake, or else he'd've been down here ten minutes ago."

Both brunettes had the decency to look sheepish before going back to glaring at each other.

" Aster Phoenix?" Jasmine whispered, looking delighted. Lia turned horrified eyes on her. " You had sex with Aster Phoenix?"

Before Lia could protest that, no, she _hadn't_ (how could she have? She hadn't even _kissed_ the boy, let alone gotten anywhere near his clothes), a new voice ran rang out over the cafeteria.

" You, like, _WHAT_?"

All eyes turned to see Miriam and Jessica standing in the spacious doorway. Brier was standing sleepily beside them, rubbing his eyes. Yawning, and ignoring the look of horror on the taller girls' faces, he walked over to the breakfast bar and shovelled about four pancakes onto a plate. Sleepily stumbling over to the group, he put down the plate and paused.

" Mornin'" He said, yawning again. Waltzing over to the syrup jug, he calmly lifted the whole thing up and carried it to the table, placing it down beside his plate and taking a seat. When he noticed the looks he was getting, he glared.

" What? I like maple syrup on my pancakes, okay?"

Alexis blinked.

" Wait, Brier, what are you doing here?" Brier raised a brow. " I mean, I didn't see you go into Atticus' room with the rest of the boys last night, so..."

" Come to think of it..." Jaden rubbed the back of his neck. " You vanished about half an hour before the dance was over. Where'd you go last night?"

" Uh, well..." Brier flushed bright red and refused to meet anyone's eye. Luckily for him, distraction came in the form of Miriam throwing her arms around Lia and squeezing the girl tightly.

" Omigod, tell me you didn't! Tell me you're still, like, intact!" She stared tearfully into Lia's eyes. " You're still totally pure, aren't you?"

Lia's face was blank.

" I cannot even _begin_ to tell you how much you are disturbing the hell out of me right now."

" Leave her alone, Miriam." Jessica said, taking the seat next to Jaden on Lia's right. The other Obelisk turned tear-filled eyes on the blonde.

" But-But Jess-Jess!"

" For god's sakes, Miri, where do you get off talking to her like that?" The blonde gave her friend a knowing look. " I mean, did you forget what _you_ were doing last night?"

The room was silent.

" That's different!" Miriam wailed. " Brier and I dated before we decided to sleep together, and we're both a year older than Kitten!"

" Do the words, 'On a need to know basis' mean anything to you?" Brier muttered with a sigh. He seemed to think that Lia had the right idea, because he let his head drop into the arms folded on the table, and refused to meet anyone's stunned eyes.

" You..." Syrus pointed to Miriam, and then Brier. " And you...and...are...what?"

" How did I not know about this?" Jasmine shrieked, grabbing onto Mindy and shaking her.

" I don't know!" The other victim yelled. " But it's not my fault so let go!"

Atticus opened and closed his mouth several times, looking like a goldfish.

" You two...dating...sleeping together...how _long_?"

" How long what?" Came Brier's muffled voice. "How long have we been dating or how long have we been sleeping together? 'Cuz it's been eight months for the former and five months for the latter."

" Five months?" Jasmine shouted, sounding pained. Mindy, whom Jasmine had moved from shaking to almost throttling, looked very pained.

Jessica simply shook her head. Tapping Lia's arm, the blonde pointed to the younger girl's untouched eggs.

" You gonna eat that?"

Lia shook her head.

" No, but save the toast."

Jessica eyed the blackened bread.

" No worries."

" Oh god, I am SO out of touch!" Jasmine was wailing, grabbing onto chunks of her bright red hair. " I mean, I didn't know about any of this! Atticus lost it fifteen and Brier and Miriam have been doing it and Lia lost it last night!"

" I did not!" the girl protested, but it was lost under Jasmine's agonized cry.

" Oh will you all just shut up!"

Abruptly, Chazz pushed off the wall and stormed forward, his eyes dark and thunder gathering on his face.

" Seriously, Jazz, cut it out! It's not fuckin' funny anymore!" He narrowed dark gray eyes at the redhead. " You don't have to know every fucking detail about everyone's lives! It's fucking annoying! So what if Atty started a little earlier than the rest of us, or some shit like that?" He glared at the room at large. " It's none of our business. So these two," he gestured to Miriam and Brier, " have been rolling in the fucking hay behind our backs! How the fuck is that any of our business? It isn't, simple as that. Stop whining and complaining about shit that's got nothing to fucking do with you! If the bitch wants to go out and get drunk, more power to her! It's her life, you morons, so lay off!"

" Chazz..." Lia whispered, looking surprised. He continued to glare.

" And besides, look at her! With a body like that, she'd _have_ to get a guy drunk in order for him to be interested in her! And there's no way she and Phoenix fucked! He's got women throwing themselves at him you really think he's gonna settle for a scrawny little flat-chested nobody? There's no way she's not a fucking virgin, so stop freaking out!"

Everything was very still for a moment. Lia stood, encased in Miriam's arms, a strange sort of calm settling over her. Here, after so long and after so much, was the Chazz she remembered, Their last fight had been cut short and strained, as if neither of them had had any idea of what to say or do, Chazz not remembering the way he'd been under the Light, and Lia caught between striking out at him for scaring her so badly, and pulling her punches because he'd been hurt too. Now, there was no indecision in her way. With his feet planted, with his head held high, with the look of disdainful pride in his eyes, the Chazz she despised and admired was back, and the horrible pressure that had driven her to open that bottle the night before lifted just a little. Chazz was back. They'd won him back, and if they could get him back, they could get the others back to. If they could save Chazz, then they could save the world, couldn't they?

A warm glow unfurled in her chest, and, ducking her head down, Lia hid a smile against Miriam's forearm. Maybe, just maybe, everything could be alright again.

Then she threw off the Obelisk's arms, shook with fury, and vaulted her body over the dining table, snarling like a wild animal.

" Mourez!"

* * *

Aster didn't waste any time. The second he saw the slightly dishevelled looking brunette, he made his way over, smug grin plastered on his face.

" So what's this I hear about us sleeping together?"

Lia glared sourly up at him.

" Hello, Aster. Enjoying the hang over?" She reached up and smacked the side of his head hard enough to reactivate the elephants that had been tap-dancing on his skull all morning. He winced.

" That was uncalled for."

" So was your comment."

The blue-eyed boy had the decency to grin sheepishly and rub the back of his neck before smirking down at her.

" Hey, don't blame me, baby. It's all I've been hearing for the last few hours." He leaned down so that he could see her eyes better. Even redden slightly with the tell-tale irritation of a post-drinking binge, they were still a bright, clear hazel. When she finally allowed them to meet his own, Aster felt his heart swell as he realized that the orbs weren't nearly as hard and closed as they had been the night he'd first met her.

" Don't call me baby." Was all she said, and turned away to look at the ocean. Her little silver camera was clutched in her hands. Aster supposed that she'd been in the process of taking pictures before he'd interrupted her. Somewhat self-consciously, he lowered himself into a cross-legged position at her side, glancing at her hands.

" Noted. So..." His shoulder bumped hers. She didn't flinch away, and Aster let a giddy little shot of happiness squirm through him at the action. " How come you take so many pictures?"

" Mmm?" Lia looked at him through her bangs (and her lashes, he noticed. They were dark brown and long. They went nicely with her big eyes, and he was starting sound like a romantic sap.), and then back down at the camera.

" You just seem to really like taking pictures. I was wondering why."

Lia fiddled with the silver object in her fingers a little, biting her lower lip.

" Well, uh..." Her face was flushed when she shot him a secretive look and beckoned him closer. " It's kinda stupid so, um...can you keep a secret?"

He shifted so that he was fully facing her.

" For you, babe, anything."

She punched his shoulder playfully.

" Don't say weird things." She held the camera up. " The thing is...my dad was gone so much when I was a kid...I guess I never really saw much of him. All I really got were pictures. He'd send me pictures from the game reserve. It used to feel like that was the only connection I had with him. Like it was the only way I could communicate with him. I made my Grandmama buy me these cheap little cameras, like, ones for tourists, and I'd send a whole bunch of them back. I felt like I couldn't use any words, not with him, so I had to tell him things in pictures." She laughed softly, but it didn't really sound happy. " Funny. I've always hated having pictures taken of me. I always feel so awkward and stupid when I'm in front of the camera. I like being behind it so much more. It...I guess it started when I sent pictures to my dad. I never let myself be in any of them, at least not alone."

" How come?" Aster said, equally softly, his fingers itching to take hers.

Lia shook her head.

" It's stupid." She ducked her head when she saw his serious blue eyes.

" You can tell me." His hand closed over hers. " You can tell me anything."

She swallowed thickly.

" I...I guess I used to think that...that as long as...I wasn't in the pictures, I could pretend that...that it wasn't _my fault_ that my dad wasn't home."

" Your fault? How could it be _your_ fault?" Aster asked, incredulous. Lia snorted, but it sounded strained.

" I told you it was stupid. I got it in my head that the reason my dad wasn't around was 'cause he didn't want to see me. So if I wasn't in the pictures, I wouldn't make anything worse, and it wouldn't be my fault that he didn't come home all the time." Lia shrugged, looking at him with eyes that were swimming with tears. " I guess it just stuck. I feel so ugly when I stand in front of the camera."

" Nothing could make you ugly." Aster said suddenly, his eyes darkened with passion and conviction. Lia stared at him, taken aback, and Aster marvelled at how true his words were. Despite the red in her eyes and the disarray of her hair, Lia was stunning to him. If anything, the loose curls being tousled by the breeze coming off the ocean were even more attractive than her usual proper braid. The sun and his words had tinted her face with pink, and her bare shoulders (bared by the high green tank top, sans black undershirt) were dotted with freckles. She was slender and tall, barefooted in the green grass, and Aster wondered if this was how a tree nymph, freshly stepped out of a birch, would look. The clouds shifted and Lia's eyes warmed, turning them into twin drops of honey in her rose face. A smile, the same smile she'd given him in his trailer that day (it seemed so long ago; it felt like a lifetime since he'd first felt this way), crept up over her lips. Aster was sure his heart was about to stop and never start up again.

" You're such an idiot. Don't say crazy things." But her tone was so gentle and the smile was still blazing like a star across her face, and Aster refused to believe that she hadn't felt it too. The heady rush of the chemistry that hung between them, silent save for moments when it rang clear with the promise of something infinitely sweeter.

" Someday..." he hesitated, but ploughed ahead. " Someday...maybe not for a long while yet, but someday when you're ready...would you take a picture with me? Just the two of us?"

He didn't give her a chance to answer; just gave her hand a squeeze and smiled back into her stunned one.

' You should always look like this.' He thought. ' You should always smile like this. You have a face made for smiling, for laughing while surrounded by friends and family. Your face when you're happy is too breath-taking for you to be meant to be alone.'

And it hit him like a punch in the gut. Desire flooded his body, hot and desperate. In a flash, the warmth that had been circulating around his body for so long after that day in the rain made sense in a single, burning strike of lightning. His breath caught, and the hand on her own trembled, aching to reach up and cup her face. He'd never wanted anything in his life so much as he wanted her to smile at him like that for the rest of his life. Even the thought of bringing his father's murderer to justice paled, for a split second, to the idea of rolling over first thing in the morning and seeing that smile in Lia's soft face, her eyes made of honey and her hair falling over her bare shoulder in a cascade of shining curls.

' She's more than pretty.' He was so shaken by the revelation that he didn't even notice Lia's hand shaking under his own. ' She's so much more than pretty. I...I want...Oh god, I want a life-'

" Aster?" Lia's voice broke through his thoughts and he pulled back, breathing in little bursts as he tried to remake his world.

" Are you okay?" Her hand on his shoulder almost made him jump out of his skin. Turning to face her inquisitive eyes, Aster gulped.

' Oh, I am in _so friggin deep_.'

" I, uh..." His mind scrambled to find an excuse to get away, to run to that he could compose himself, and prepare his heart for the next time he saw her. And yet, somehow, the thought of leaving her side send a shot of pain that was at once agony and bliss rippling through his chest. " I...uh...I'm supposed to...call the D on a video chat today, so...uh..."

" The D?" Lia got up and dusted off her jeans. Aster sent a short prayer to whatever god was listening, giving thanks that she wasn't wearing her shorts again. He would've been a dead man. " That's your foster father, right?"

" Yeah." He blinked. " You actually listen to what I say?"

" You chatter so much that it's impossible to tune you out." She favoured him with another little smile.

His forced his breathing to calm.

" So, yeah. I should probably head over to the boat and...do that." He finished lamely. Lia hooked the camera around her neck.

" You mind if I tag along quickly? I need to grab the wine bottle I left at your place."

" Oh right." Aster managed a smirk. " You want your hoodie too?"

He was rewarded with Lia going bright red.

" Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Atty dragged me away so quickly last night, I didn't grab it."

As they started towards the docks, a thought struck Aster.

" You realize that this is just gonna feed the rumour mill, right?"

Lia shrugged.

" Right now, with all this shit going down, I could care less. Let the tongues waggle, my friends know that truth." She smirked at him. " And I'm fairly sure we would've noticed if we'd had sex. We weren't _that_ drunk."

" Maybe _you_ weren't, but I can barely remember anything from last night."

She snorted.

" Lightweight."

Aster smiled, shot a comment back at her, and admired the way Lia's head tilted back when she laughed, and her throat stretched white under the light of the sun.

* * *

...

Ahem.

_L'amour brille sous les étoiles._

_D'une étrange lumière._

_La terre entière en parfaite harmonie._

_Vie un moment royal._

_Je voudrais lui dire je t'aime._

_Mais comment lui avouer ?_

_Mon secret, mes problèmes ? Impossible !_

_Elle serait trop blessée._

_Quel lourd secret cache-t-il ?_

_Derrière tant de rancœur._

_Moi, je sais qu'il est ce roi en exile_

_Qui règne dans mon cœur!_

_L'amour brille sous les étoiles._

_D'une étrange lumière._

_La terre entière en parfaite harmonie._

_Vie ça plus belle histoire !_

_L'amour brille sous les étoiles !_

_Illuminant leurs cœurs !_

_Ça lumière éclaire à l' infini._

_Un sublime espoir._

As much as I love the English version, I would marry the French version if I could. '' and then add 'watch?v=RuoF9L_7Ozs'. I especiaaly love Nala's part. " I know he is the king in exile, who reigns in my heart." I love this song. The musical version is great too.

_Qui sait ce qu'il me cache, _  
_Parfois ses yeux me fuis _  
_Combien de temps avant que ne s'éveille, _  
_Le roi qui dort en lui?_

If you want to hear it, or read the lyrics, just type in 'Quand Soudain L'amour est la'. The search engine will find it even without the lyrics. Anyway, I couldn't resist. Remember, I said Aster's falling in love song is 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight'. So, it feels right to make it official with the French version of the song. Yes, it's official. If the hint up above wasn't enough, yeah, Aster's in love with her. Competely and utterly.

_Sa main sur mon épaule._

_Le timbre de sa voix._

_Ces yeux profonds raniment me peu à peu,_

_De très lointains émois._

Well, that's kinda a weird format, but whatever. These lines just seemed so perfect. " Her hand on my shoulder. The tone of her voice. These deep eyes revive me little by little to very distant emotions." Eeeeee! It's like it was written for this scene. It's Simba singing, so it fits almost too perfectly. Nala's lines are really good too. " The same moment his body is so close to mine, the lioness becomes a gazelle." Eeeee~! I won't use that line until Lia falls in love with him too!

And yes, eventually, I will write the drunken exploits of Lia and Aster. But for now, writhe in agony as I give out only very confusing and sparse details.

Yes, that's why you haven't seen much of Brier or Miriam.

None of the opinions expressed by my characters accurately express my opinions on sex. Really, it's up to each individual person to decide when they're ready. If you wanna wait until marriage, that's fine. If you wanna start early, that's also fine, because it's your body, not mine, and I have no right to tell you what to do with it. Being an anthropology student has taught me a little about my views of sex, and I've come to some conclusions on what it is, and, more importantly, what it is not. And THAT is my business. As a high school student, I did call several people sluts. They were all girls. I am thoroughly ashamed of my behaviour, and to anyone who as ever been called a slut or has had their promiscuity viewed in a negative light, I would like to apologize on behalf of all of us who are not sexual active, or do not choose to have many sexual partners. I'm sorry to everyone I ever called a slut. I'm sorry to anyone who has ever been called a slut. Sexual promiscuity is not something that should be looked down upon, I've learned, especially not in girls. While boys are usually allowed some leeway, a girl who has multiple sexual partners is almost immediately labeled a slut. And I don't think that that should be a bad thing. My views on sex is this: As long as the relationship is healthy, even if it is purely sexual and only for one night, then it's okay. As long as no one is getting hurt, then by all means, have sex. Being forced to open my eyes to several ugly truths in university has made me realize that I have no right to judge.

So, once again, to anyone I ever called a slut, to anyone who has every been called a slut, and to anyone who has ever feared being called a slut:

I'm sorry. More power to you.

Whew, that was a kinda heavy feeling to bring in. So uh, here's this chapter. I really hoped you liked. It's another kind of breather chapter. The action will pick up again next week. And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go look up the same Disney song in about eight different languages because that's what I do for fun.

How in God's name did I not know I was a linguist before last year?

MoS


	48. Pressing Concerns

Warnings: And, in this corner, the one! The only! **_The D!_**

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_.

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

Lia had absolutely no idea what she was doing. She had never taken an interest in duels outside of the obligatory 'my-friend-is-dueling-I-need-to-cheer-him/her-on', and a passing interest in photographing them. She would usually sit, very lost and confused, until her confusion gave way to boredom, and she'd root around in her bag for the novel she'd packed. Sometimes (if the duel wasn't one that was going to decide the fate of the world, or if her friends' lives weren't hanging in the balance), she wouldn't even watch the duel. She'd crack the book open as the first cards were played, and ignore the goings-on until someone was declared a victor. If Jaden was dueling, she simply waited for him to win, and then snapped a shot of him bouncing up and down in glee.

Some days, she took music with her, and put in her ear buds, falling into a near doze until someone shook her awake. Her friends knew better than to take offense to her inattentiveness, understanding that the dueling arena was simply not her forte. They all acknowledged that had the positions been reversed, had Lia dragged them to watch her give a presentation in history class, she wouldn't have minded if they'd dozed off, and so they afforded her the same grace.

So she didn't know what she was doing. For once, no one had dragged her along to the duel. She hadn't had to be forced, coerced, or taken a promise of compensation, no matter how silly or little the promised boon was. For once, she had walked into of her own accord, sat down next to Jaden, and tried to ignore the awkward looks Jaden, Syrus, and Hassleberry were giving her.

" Uh, Miss Lia ma'am?" Hassleberry tried. Lia brought her knees up to her chin and ignored him.

" Lia, um, what are-" Syrus got no further as Jaden leaned over and reached for the bowl of snacks.

" S'cuse me, Sy." He grabbed the orange bowl. " Chips?"

Lia shook her head. Jaden shrugged, and put the snacks on his crossed legs.

" Suit yourself."

" Jay?" Syrus poked the Slifer. " Don't you wanna know why Lia's here? Aniki?"

" Nope." Jaden shoved a handful of chips into his mouth.

" Not even a bit?" Hassleberry looked surprised. Jaden struggled to swallow.

" R'ook..." He paused, and grabbed one of the soda cans scattered around the table. " Look," he continued after he'd had a drink, " if she wants to be here, let her. Why are you guys so freaked out by the fact that Koneko-chan wants to spend time with us?"

" Because she never comes to a duel unless we bribe her." Syrus deadpanned. A second later, Jesse Anderson's stunned face appeared in the doorway.

" Nevah?" He looked scandalized and his accent had thickened. " Darlin', wit' all due respect, what the hell is wrong wit' ya?"

" Academic." Was the only answer he got. Jesse blinked.

" But Ah see ya at duels all th' tahme."

" We make her go." Syrus said with a shrug. Jesse looked back at the girl curled on the end of the couch, and shook his head.

" Crazy."

Lia shot him a withering look, but said nothing. She turned to stare at the television, already starting to feel a little lost as the announcer started introducing the two opponents.

" Aaaaaaand in this corner, the one, the only, _**The**__**D**_!"

Lia frowned, taking in the man on the screen with narrowed eyes. His hair was the same shade of blue that it had been the day before, but there was something off about his face. It seemed...pinched, somehow, tightened in places it should not have been. He seemed paler too, as though the life had been sucked slowly from his skin. He'd been tired when he'd spoken to Aster, but there was a different kind of glazed look in his eyes.

Lia bit her lip, and fought off a shiver.

" _Thanks." She called as she made her way out of the room, picking her path through the scattered clothes and video games that were scattered on the floor. As much as Aster tried to present himself as a sophisticated grown-up, he certainly cleaned his room like a teenager. Lia jumped over a copy of the latest Last Dream games (what were they up to by now?), and quietly chuckled._

" _Uh-huh." Aster called back, not taking his eyes from the computer screen in front of him. He had abandoned his usual grey jacket, and sat in his black dress shirt, his loosened tie hanging around his neck. Lia paused at the door and looked him over. Despite his annoying attitude (and to her horror, she was finding it more and more tolerable, bordering on charming at times), he made a nice enough picture to look at, and the thought painted a soft smile on her face._

" _Aster?" A male voice came from the computer, startling her. Aster frantically began to try and block it from view. " Who's that?"_

" _N-No one!" He said, but Lia swore she saw a faint red flush overtaking his face. " Seriously D, what were you saying?"_

" _Aster Phoenix, you tell me who is in that room with you." The man said in a commanding voice, and Aster seemed to sink into his seat. Lia, feeling pity for the boy, carefully walked over. On the screen was a man in what appeared to be his late-thirties to early forties, bespectacled, with shoulder-length blue hair. She smiled winningly._

" _I'm Lia Shanner. It's a pleasure to meet you." Her mind scrambled to pull up information on the man before her. " You're...Aster's guardian, right?"_

_The man smiled amicably at her._

" _Please, called me D. Everyone does."_

" _Bien sur." Lia said before she could stop herself. The D's smile only got wider. __" Excusez-moi."_

" _Ce n'est pas une problème. Est-ce que tu as dit ' Lia Shanner'?" __Lia nodded. The D shot Aster a sly look, which made the younger man start to pale._

" _D, no, c'mon..."_

" _So __**this**__ is Lia."_

_The girl in question blinked._

" _You know me?"_

_The D laughed heartily, pointing at Aster, who had sunk even farther into his computer chair, looking at the ground like he wanted it to swallow him whole._

" _Oh, I've heard of you. Every time Aster calls home or comes for a visit, your name tends to come up." Lia felt her face get warm. An affectionate glow unfurled in her chest, and she tried to ignore it, along with her thundering heart. It shouldn't have made her so happy that Aster mentioned her to his family, but..._

" _He probably complains about how bad I treat him." She laughed nervously to try and cover up her embarrassment. Aster brought his knees up to his chest and whimpered in humiliated horror._

" _He mentioned a slap. And how much he deserved it."_

_Lia shot the silver-haired boy a look._

" _Masochist." She accused. Aster didn't even bother to raise his head to answer._

" _I was being a dick."_

" _And I over-reacted."_

" _You had every right to hit me. It probably smacked some sense back into me."_

" _You would've woken up eventually."_

" _Your faith in me is so misplaced."_

_The D suddenly started laughing again. The sound of it startled Lia out of the half-hearted argument. The D had an arm latched around his waist, his cheeks coloured pink with mirth. When he finally calmed down enough to look at the two, there was a warm light in his eyes that made Lia's face warm even more._

" _I like her, Aster." The man gave his foster son a wink. " Keep her around."_

" _D!" Aster was so red he could've passed for a stop light. Lia wasn't far behind._

" _I only wished you'd been around when he was getting his Criminology degree." The D continued, shaking his head in lament. " I've never seen him as eager to go to school as he's been this year. I thought it was because of Jaden. I should've known there was a pretty girl involved."_

" _**D!**__" Aster looked like a volcano about to erupt, his face a blazing shade of scarlet and his eyes threatening to pop from his head. Lia's left eye twitched, her own face so warm she was sure it must've been able to pass as a tomato._

" _Take it easy, Aster. You'll pop a vessel at the rate you're going." His guardian teased. Lia didn't think the order helped. If anything, Aster got even redder. Deciding it was probably time to vacant, Lia offered the man on the screen a sincere, if very embarrassed smile._

" _I should really get going. End of the year projects to do." She gestured vaguely._

" _I understand." The D nodded, still looking very amused. " It's very nice to finally have a face to put to the name."_

_Lia grinned, her fingers tightening around the white hoodie she clutched._

" _And, might I say, it certainly is a lovely face."_

_Lia flushed again at the compliment, and Aster nearly went purple, sputtering in incoherent rage._

" _You're old enough to be her __**father**__!" He yelled indignantly. " Quit hitting on her, you old pervert!"_

_He looked so insulted that Lia had to giggle, bringing the hoodie up as she tried to stifle the sound. The D's eyes widened a little._

"_Uh..." Lia blinked and noticed him looking at the shirt. Aster went pale for a second, and Lia's mind registered exactly how it must look. She'd clearly come to the boat to retrieve her forgotten shirt, but, to any outsider, it would look like..._

" _We, uh..." Aster floundered, shooting her a desperate look. " We-"_

" _Went for a walk last night." Lia lied smoothly. " Neither of us felt like going to the dance, so we decided to wander around the island. I left my sweater here because it was so warm last night, and then Aster walked me back to my dorm, and I forgot all about it until this morning." She gave the man a disarming smile, mentally praying that he'd buy her story. But just in case he was sceptical... " Your son is a real gentleman."_

_The D seemed to lose some of the tension in his shoulders._

" _I should hope so." He gave Aster a warning look. " After all the etiquette Miss Nevin has drilled into his head, I'm sure he knows better than to take advantage of a young girl in the dark."_

' _Take advantage of me?' Lia fought the urge to roll her eyes. ' No way. Aster's too good of a guy for that.' She didn't notice that her mind wouldn't even entertain the idea. ' Besides, he knows better. I'd break his nose, and then I'd sic Jay, Atty, and everyone else on him.'_

_Aster was glaring at his guardian, clearly insulted._

" _As if!" He snarled, flushed with anger. " I respect her way too much. Besides, she'd break my nose, and sic all her friends on me without a second thought."_

_Lia blinked._

' _Great minds, I suppose.'_

_The D held up his hands in surrender, having the decency to look sheepish._

" _Alright, alright, cool down Aster. You know I'm just kidding, right?"_

" _Wasn't funny." Aster sulked, and Lia resisted the urge to roll her eyes._

" _Later, Phoenix." She called. " Nice to meet you, Mr. The D."_

_The man on the computer screen chuckled._

" _You don't have to be so formal, Miss Shanner."_

" _Lia." She said with grin that the pro-star answered._

" _Lia, then." He winked. " You'll catch my duel later on tonight, won't you?"_

" _**D**__!" Aster was looking scandalized again. " You're old enough to be her __**dad**__!"_

" _Aster, you're gonna pop a blood vessel if you're not careful."_

" _Stop hitting on my friends!"_

" _Can I help it if you make friends with lovely young women? You're just like your old man."_

" _**D!**__"_

_Aster sounded like he was in actual pain. Lia couldn't ever remember her mother or grandparents embarrassing her so badly that her voice cracked, but then, she hadn't really spent enough time around any of them in the years when they might've been able to achieve that level of humiliation. Her cousins, on the other hand, were an entirely different matter. She could clearly remember punching Leal viciously in the stomach to make him shut up, and Maggie had gone out of her way at Christmas to make her blush during her webcam chat with Jaden and the others. _

_A strange, almost warm glow filled her chest as she recalled the way her cousins had smiled at her. It'd been so long since she'd felt like that that it was nearly a foreign concept to her. Shaking her head free of reminisces, Lia gave Aster and his foster father one last smile._

" _I'll be sure to try, sir." He gave her a playfully pointed look. " D.__ Au revoir__, Aster."_

" _Yeah, bye." Aster sounded so put out that Lia couldn't help it. Crossing the room, she threw her arm around his shoulders and gave them a tight squeeze._

" _Cheer up, Prick. You've got too much to do to waste time being gloomy."_

_And then she hurried out, her face burning for some reason, and her heart pounding. _

The D had been like an older version of Aster. Charming, completely at ease, and somehow brimming with confidence without being arrogant, a trick Aster had regrettably yet to pick up. (Although, if she was honest, he was getting better. Much better. In fact, he was getting to be downright bearable. More than bearable. He was actually nice to be around, and she really didn't want to look too far into that thought.) He had been jovial and very friendly. Lia had been very impressed, although her knowledge of dueling prowess was woefully lacking. He'd been every bit the proud, but teasing, father figure, and part of Lia had withered in jealousy of Aster once again. Not only had he had the chance to say goodbye, but there had been a new father waiting for him practically at the door of the funeral home.

(She knew that she wasn't being fair. The death of his father clearly still haunted Aster. It was his driving force, his raison d'être, and, if that episode in the rain was anything to go by, his greatest regret. The wounds hadn't closed yet, and no amount of quality with the D, or Sartorius for that matter, was going to be anything more than a brief balm on them. Aster bled a little every day, but Lia saw, in his eyes, in the way he walked, in the tremble of his shoulders and the lines of his face, that maybe, he was bleeding a little less with every passing moment. It should've made her even more jealous. Instead, it made her so happy that for a second, she thought she might burst.)

Still, the D had been very nice, and Lia wanted very much to like him. But there was something in her that stopped him. The entire time his eyes had been fixed on her, the stone under she shirt had burned against her skin, hot and searing and the very thought of it made her lunch twist in her stomach. As much as she'd tried to ignore it in the beginning, she'd come to associate the burning sensation of the stone with bad things to come, as though the sharp little thing was predicting when circumstances were about to take a turn for the worse.

Everything that had gone wrong since she'd started her second year had been preceded by the sharp flash of pain by her chest.

It unsettled her.

She couldn't quite say why she was sitting on a couch, watching a duel she knew she wasn't going to understand. It might've been the fact that Aster had looked so pleased when she'd said she'd try to watch. It might've been that she was so unnerved by the D that she _had_ to watch, in order to either prove or disprove her fears. It might've been that a charismatic older man had asked her to tune in, and she wanted to honour her word. Whatever the reason, Lia curled up a little more on the couch, pressing her thighs against her stomach in an attempt to quiet the first stirrings of nausea in it, and tried very hard not to meet Jaden's questioning, yet knowing eyes.

* * *

Jaden watched Lia as the stadium on the TV screen burned.

It wasn't that he wasn't interested in what was happening. He was, incredibly so. What had occurred towards the end of the duel freaked him out almost more than he was willing to admit. The look in the D's eyes had been far too familiar for him to ignore. The rapidly paling skin, the unnerving grin, and the awful laugh were all worrying, but what had Jaden on edge were the eyes.

Wider than they had any right being, sucking all the colour and life out of a suddenly shrunken face, those eyes had been burning in the same way as the eyes of the Society members.

It was beyond disturbing, and it should have his full attention, but Jaden couldn't take his eyes off of Lia.

She'd gasped the second she'd seen those eyes, giving voice to the feelings Jaden somehow he knew he could never speak of. If he, the de facto leader of their little band, were to reveal his fear and self-doubt, Jaden was certain everyone else would go to pieces. They depended on him to set the example, to be strong where they were weak, to have faith where they gave up. To show them that he was still human under all his bravado was tantamount to throwing in the towel.

There were days when he despised the responsibility heaped onto his shoulders.

Even more unsettling, there were other days, more so in recent months, where he accepted the responsibility without a second thought, as though he'd been born to bear it. For a boy who'd spent all of elementary and middle school coasting and making light of almost every situation, it was a dramatic shift that sometimes, he didn't recognize his own reflection.

" _Juudai-kun is...different." Akimi muttered, giving him a searching once over. Jaden, who was in the middle of chugging a water bottle in direct defiance to the sweltering heat, paused. He raised a brow at his black-haired friend._

" _It's true!" She insisted, putting a lock of hair behind her ear. Akimi had forgone her usual pig-tails to sweep her hair up and off her neck. " Juudai-kun, you've changed."_

" _I've been away for a year." He defended with a shrug, reaching up to wipe his mouth._

" _Even Haruka-chan agrees." Jaden winced. Haruka was still a sore subject. He could easily picture her earnest eyes and flushed face as she whispered, " I...I love you, Juudai-kun." that day behind the equipment shed on the field. He'd been so blown away that he hadn't even been able to turn her down. That had been rectified a few days before he left to catch his flight to the undisclosed location for his duel test. Still, despite her understanding, it was still so awkward to be around her, aware of her feelings but unable to return them. It hurt, because Haruka had always been a special friend to him, the first time he'd ever felt the protective instincts that had become second nature over the course of his first year at Duel Academy._

" _That was low, even for you, Aka-chan." He said coldly, and Akimi looked away, sheepish._

" _I know."_

" _I just..." Jaden's fingers clenched over the water bottle. " ...Everything changed, this year. Things were...I couldn't just breeze through it. It would've been...how was I supposed to react to..."_

" _Trusedale-kun?" Akimi asked. Her pronunciation was fairly good. Jaden, who had been fortunate enough to get English tutors in forms of his many babysitters, had always had a fairly good English accent. Besides, while things like math and science made his head hurt (but less now than it had a year ago; Lia's methods were starting to get through to him), English and languages had always come easy. Something about figuring out how to put a sentence together, seeing someone's face when he managed to properly communicate his thoughts in their native tongue, it made him happy. And if there was one thing Jaden loved, it was when things were fun._

_His throat closed up as he pictured Syrus' eyes when the boy had realized he was out. The dawning look of realization, the hope flooding into his gaze, the way he'd thrown himself at Jaden, sobbing and smiling and alive; it all made Jaden's eyes sting. Unable to speak, he simply nodded. Akimi was decent enough to give him that much._

" _I'm not surprised you did that. Juudai-kun could never ignore anyone in danger." She shot him an admiring smile._

" _But..." Jaden prompted._

" _But the look in your eyes has been different, all summer. You look..." She paused to tilt her head, and squint at him. " ...Different."_

" _Observant." He quipped. His companion frowned._

" _You sound different too. Older, somehow. Like you grew up in the ten months we didn't see you."_

_Jaden glared at the ground._

" _You don't face the complete annihilation of everything you know and love and not grow up a bit, Aka-chan."_

" _I know __**that**__." She seemed frustrated by her inability to communicate what she felt. " It's just...Juudai-kun, sometimes I look at you, and it's like I don't even know you anymore." Jaden glanced up. Akimi was frowning. " It's like you're going far away from me, so fast that I can't catch up." She shook her head suddenly. " It's like something out of a manga. A lazy, but good-hearted boy is charged with saving the world, and is forced to grow up along the way."_

_Abruptly, Akimi dropped to her knees beside Jaden. She grabbed into his arm, and gave him a pleading look._

" _Don't get so far ahead, Juudai-kun. You're the best friend I've ever had, and I don't want to get left behind. Don't leave me behind, alright?"_

_For a second, Jaden felt overwhelmed. It was Haruka pleading with him to go on a date with her all over again. It was his mother and father explaining that work needed them overseas for months at a time, and it was just easier to let him stay down the road from his aunt and uncle. It was Syrus screaming in his sleep from his bed in the hospital ward. It was everything that was wrong and ugly about the world, everything he didn't want to save and shouldn't have to. It was the fact that maybe, he wanted to be given a choice about being the hero._

_And then he smiled, and shoved it aside._

" _Never." He reassured, pulling his deck out and holding it up. " No matter what I do, no matter where I go, no matter how..." his eyes dimmed a little, " ...far ahead I get, you're always with me. You and others, who gave me this deck, you're always with me. You help me fight. I use the feelings you put into this deck to guide me. So no matter what happens, I carry you with me wherever I go."_

_It didn't matter, suddenly, that he had no choice, that no one had ever asked him if he wanted to be the chosen hero of the story. He was sure the feelings would come back to haunt him someday, but for one moment, all was right with the world. His friend was smiling at him, her eyes wet with tears she was too prideful to let fall, her heart at peace. For her, he didn't mind playing the hero, because Akimi believed that he would always carry her and the others with him in his heart._

_And for a moment, that was enough._

Lia looked scared, looked half out of her mind with fear, and that didn't sit right with Jaden. She was Haruka mixed with Akimi mixed with Natsuki, with a dash of something that made her entirely Lia. She was, in the moment the Light peeked out of the D's eyes, everything he'd ever wanted to protect, and everything he would ever need to save. Suddenly, the world narrowed to Lia, and her fear, and how she should never be so scared. Something in his heart roared against her trembling shoulders, and the hot feeling flooded behind his eyes for a moment. Turning back to glare at the TV, Jaden missed Lia's hand flying to her collar, her face scrunched up in pure pain.

* * *

Hi everyone!

I'm really excited for this chapter, because while last week's was so cute (Eeeeee! I hate to sound egotistical, but I loved the way I wrote Aster totally falling for Lia! I know that makes me sound so big-headed, but I really liked the way it came out! Squee~!), I finally get to showcase two characters that are a ton of fun to write.

The first is The D, who I hate with a loathing so deep I'm surprised I haven't set the computer screen on fire from the amount of glaring I did while rewatching his episodes. God, I DESPISE that man. What kind of sick fuck offs a guy, and then adopts his orphaned kid in order to have the perfect cover up? And not just offs, in this story at least. Offs and _dumps in a river_. He is just...there are no WORDS for this guy. And I portrayed him as jovial, kind, and charming in this chapter. Why? Simple. This is The D that _Aster_ sees. This is The D that the man wants other people to see. To the world, he is a charismatic, helpful, and sweet man who offered to take in a little boy who'd just lost his world. He is the perfect father figure, the perfect duelist, and the darling of the media. There are no black spots on his record.

And I want you all to twist in your seats as you read the conversation between him, and Lia and Aster, because you all know what he's REALLY like. Read that passage, read the jokes, and the laughter, and the easy-going banter, and remember that this man is a cold-blooded killer. Remember that this man dragged Aiden Phoenix out of his apartment and threw his corpse into a river, and then turned around and took in his son. The D, in my opinion, is a thousand times scarier than the Light. The Light is scary, of course, but it is evil, pure and simple. It is destruction and desolation in their purest forms. It is utterly uncapable of mercy or love. It is simply death.

But The D?

The D is human. He has a CHOICE about good and evil. He is made of flesh and blood, just like you and me, and he is capable of killing a man in cold blood. I know the Light is possessing him. But the Light didn't get to him until AFTER he got his hands on the card. And in this canon, The D went in fully prepared to kill in order to get his hands on that card. In this canon, even before the Light was in his head, The D was contemplating murder. And that's what makes him so scary. He didn't need the Light to commit unspeakable acts. He's human, same as I am, and he didn't need the Light to be a killer.

He scares me almost as much as he makes me hate him.

The other character is Akimi. I finally get to write her as more than a mysterious figure. I love her, I really do. Well, I love all my girls, but I really like Akimi. I can just never write her in the same room as Lia, because then all you would hear would be, " OmiGOD, TSUNDERE~!" Followed by Lia have the living hell glomped outta her, followed by Akimi NOT LETTING GO. EVER. Trust me, in order to get her off of Lia, crowbars and super strenght would need to be involved.

But I'm really happy that I got to write her. I never really get to showcase Jaden's friends. And I'm aware of the discrepency (sp?) that I've sorta created. I tell you about Jaden's friends, but constantly point out that he had a lonely childhood. There's an explanation for this, I promise you. You see, in my mind, Jaden had a lonely child. Jaden's parents got very mobile jobs about three years before he was born (you'll find out more about his parents in up-coming chapters). For the first few years of his life, Jaden was carted around with them, and never really stayed in one place to long. His talent for languages arises from this. He can't really remember it well, but he was in a fair few different countries for the first few years of his life, and all those different languages left an impact on him. Languages aren't hard for him at all. Anyway, after about 4-5 years of this, his parents decided that they couldn't really be bringing a small child into some of the situations they were called into. (Again, this will be explained later.) So, they bought a house in their native Japan, just down the road from his father Sorimaru's sister, Ayatsuri, hired a reliable house/babysitter, and told Jaden that they'd be back as soon as they could. Said babysitter, a little while later, bought Jaden his first set of duel monsters cards and taught him how to play in order to help him feel less lonely.

This led to what I like to call The Yubel Years, wherein Jaden dueled people, lost, and Yubel went apeshit on their minds and put people into comas left, right, and centre. As a result, Jaden was lonely. And then the space thing happened. Because shipping the card into space would TOTALLY cure it of all evil impulses. Lol, Yugioh Logic!

Of course, by this point, Jaden was doing his whole 'I can talk to my cards, hurray!' thing, and his current babysitter (THEY kept having to change too) told his parents, and they went all, 'Oh crap, he's delusional due to years of loneliness and lack of parental figures being present! Quickly, we must take him to a shrink and have said shrink perform some kinda freaky amnesia magic on him!' And poof! Repressed memories are repressed. Jaden remembers being alone. He just doesn't quite remember WHY no one would duel with him, or why the people he remembers dueling with keep vanishing from his memories at one point or another. Yes, he is disturbed by this like WOAH.

At this point, Jaden got into middle school. There, his cousin introduced him to her captain (Netsuko), who introduced him to her friend Kikyou (Hark-chan), who introduced him to her brother Shinjin, whom Natsuki has a crush on, and then it snowballed from there. The thing is, none of these people have an interest in dueling. Jaden is safe to hang-out with them, with or without Yubel. They became really close friends. Haruka even developed a crush on him, not that he could return her feelings. I like the idea of Jaden have a LOT of female friends, and being completely (well, not so much NOW) oblivious to the sexual tension that's supposed to be there. I also love disproving the idea that a boy and a girl can't just be friends. The guy who dared me to write the 'decent, dubbed Yugioh GX' fic? He's my best friend. Has been since I was in the FIRST GRADE. We've had crushes on each other, sometimes at different times, once at the same time, but we never did anything about them. And when they passed, we were even closer friends. He adopted me as a second sister years ago, and still treats me like that to this day. He's the nicest guy I know, and I love him very much, but we are still not romantically involved. We've disproved everyone of my other friends, who said it was impossible for a boy and a girl to hang on and not want to be a couple. I've met his girlfriends. They have all, in one way or another, liked me. There was one that adopted me as a little sister as well. Never let anyone tell you that a guy and girl can't be friends without romantic intentions. Remember, this fic is more about friendship than anything else. And that's why I like Akimi and Jaden's relationship. They are just so EQUAL. They clearly love each other, and it's entirely platonic, and I really think that it's beautiful in its own way.

Don't get so far ahead.

I carry you with me wherever I go.

Those have got to be two of the BEST lines that I, a minimally-talented, rather unreliable, very silly author, have ever penned. I like them, a lot. I don't want to sound big-headed, but I really do like them. I like how they fit into the scene. I like how they sound coming from the characters. I like how they sum up the feelings without being obvious.

I love that they say 'I love you' without having to say it at all.

Let me know if you think I'm actually doing something right, would you? But, I want you guys to know something. Even if I get nothing but angry flames (and I highly doubt, given the unwritten rules of common courtesy most reviewers on this site adhere to), I would still keep writing. While I love the reviews, and I love each and every one of you guys for reading this story, I realized something when I finished Year One:

I'm writing this story for me.

I love this story. I love these characters. I love seeing where it takes me, and I love being able to see how I can push, and change, and shape these characters. I have so much FUN writing in Yearverse. I've never had this much fun with a fanfic. It really feels like it's a part of me. Lia feels like a real person to me. Hell, they all do. And the more I write, the more fun I have. Because while I have the grand plot laid out in my head, the little things in between come as a surprise as I write them. Atticus swearing to protect Lia. Mindy shedding her 'just a girl' mentality to kick some ass. Alexis forcing the Light out on sheer willpower and determination. I didn't plan these things. They came out as I started typing. And I love that. I love this story. I really do. And I can only hope that that love comes out in the writing. Because I want you guys to feel it too. I want the people who read this story to feel exactly how much I love it, and how much enjoyment I get out of simply writing it.

Thank you for reading this story, everyone. Thank you for encouraging me to keep at it in the first few chapters of Year One, and allowing me to find something I cherish so much.

Guess I sorta lied before. This story is for me, and it's for you.

Please enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Unitl next week,

MoS


	49. Linking Chains

Warning: ...Prepare to feel sorry for Aster. And then cheer triumphantly for Lia.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_.

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

' Pick up, pick up, pickuppickupohpleasepickup!' Aster thought desperate as he pressed the ringing cellphone to his ear. His mind was a jumbled mess of half-formed rescue operations, and helpless pleas towards a god he wasn't even sure he believed anymore. All he knew was that the stadium was burning, the D was somewhere in the fire, and Aster was about to lose another father.

" Pick up!" He roared into the device as he heard the telltale message of D's voicemail begin to play. " Damnit!"

He threw the cellphone on the floor, watching it bounce and crack a little, his eyes unfocused. With a shuddering cry, he collapsed to his knees, the sound of the flames on the television screen the only noise that could be heard in the room. Aster buried his face in his hands.

" No, no please." He whispered, his voice cracking in a sob. " Not again. I can't do it again. Please, I'll do anything, just don't put me through it again. I'm begging you."

A rapid series of knocks jolted him out of his pleading. Aster's silver head shot up, staring uncomprehendingly at the door across the room for about five seconds before it registered with him. The knocking got louder, loud bangs echoing through the boat. Aster slowly climbed to his feet, his eyes still swimming with tears, and stared at the door. He wondered who it could be, because all he wanted now was to be alone in his misery. He didn't want pitying looks, and he didn't think he could stomach someone saying 'My condolences' without punching something.

" Aster! Open up!" Jaden's voice came from outside, and Aster jumped a little. Of all people, he'd been expecting one of the teachers, an adult who would come and feed him some bullshit line about how everything was going to be fine. He hadn't expected Jaden to come, but, thinking about it, he wondered why. Jaden had made it very clear that he considered Aster a friend, and if the stories that kept floating back to Aster about the events of the previous year were true, there was very little Jaden wouldn't do for his friends.

" Aster!" Still, the younger boy couldn't quite bring himself to open the door. The moment was too personal, too deep, felt too much like looking into his father's open coffin again, to let Jaden just come barging in to try and fix it. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the sentiments behind Jaden's increasingly desperate attempts to get in. He did. He was so grateful for the fact that he actually had a _friend_ that it nearly brought him to his knees. But he just couldn't bring himself to cross the room and open the door. Not while the television screen still showed the fire blazing and he could still see D's terrifying eyes as the flaming beam fell in front of the camera.

Aster shuddered, and tried his best to block out the sounds.

" Aster, c'mon man! Open the door!" He pressed his hands over his ears, crying and not even ashamed of it.

" Aster!" If he focused on the thundering of his heart, he could practically ignore the other boy.

" _Aster_!" All there was was the dull roar in his ears, and the way his head was starting to feel fuzzy from all the crying. He bit his lower lip, shaking his head slightly as the knocking turning to pounding.

' Go away, Jaden. The D is dead. My foster father is dead, and I'm losing the one man I thought I could count on all over again, and no matter what you're going to say, nothing will ever be okay aga-'

" Phoenix, you fucking prick, you open this door! Immediatement!"

Aster's eyes flew open in shock, and before he knew what was happening, he'd clambered to his feet. A second later, the door flew off of one hinge, hanging awkwardly at an angle. A red arm wriggled its way through the gap, and pushed the heavy piece of wood over more. A second after that, Jaden Yuki shimmied his way through the space between the doorframe, dusting himself off.

" Well, that was far more work than it should've been." He looked up at Aster with eyes that were too serious to match his flippant tone. " C'mon, Aster, we're getting you out of here."

" You broke my door." Aster said, sounding dazed. Jaden nodded.

" That I did. I shouldn't've had to, but what's done is done. Now get a move on. You're staying with us tonight."

As he moved to grab his arm, Aster seemed to come out of his shock and flinched backwards, shaking his head.

" I'm staying right here."

" Uh-huh." Jaden said with a look that said he was humouring the younger boy. " Of course you are. Now get some extra clothes and whatever else you need."

Aster grit his teeth.

" I'm not going anywhere."

" Aster, I will throw you over my shoulder and carry you out like a sack of potatoes if I have to."

" You think you could?" Despite the bravado in his voice, Aster still backed up as Jaden advanced towards him.

" I don't know. But do you really wanna take a chance with the son of an ex-marine?"

" You're dad was a marine?" Aster asked, temporarily distracted. He didn't even notice Jaden striding past him to glare critically at the wide screen TV on the wall.

" No."

" But you just said..."

" Use your head." Jaden rolled his eyes. " My mom had a bunch of muscle-bound macho men following her every whim when she was still in the service."

" Why'd she quit?" Aster's head felt very fluffy, like it was stuffed with cotton balls instead of his usual sharp wit. He was so out of it that he barely registered Lia stumbling through the half wrecked door, growling all the way.

" Yeah, this wasn't excessive at all." She shot a glare at the Slifer, but then started walking over to Aster.

" She met my dad. Decided he needed her more than her troops." Jaden laughed sardonically. " She was probably right. Otou-san wouldn't've come back from half those peace talks if 'Kaa-san wasn't watching his ass." Then he reached out and turned the television off.

" Hey!" Aster tried to shoot forward, but a firm hand on his shoulder stopped him. Lia looked at him out of shadowed hazel eyes.

" Aster, whether you like it or not, you're coming with us."

" But-"

" Phoenix-kohai." Jaden sounded so serious. " Stop resisting the inevitable."

Lia gave his shoulder an encouraging squeeze, and then shifted behind him to get to his bedroom.

" You've got a duffle bag, right?" She called back. " If not, I can run and tell Sy or Hassleberry to lend you theirs."

" I have one." Aster said, a trifle petulant. He felt a little like a child being scolded. It was a feeling he hadn't really experienced in years. Sartorius and the D usually let him do as he pleased, as long as it didn't put him in immediate, life-threatening danger. And if it did, he made sure they never found out. Sarina hadn't scolded him in years, feeling assured that all her etiquette and chivalry lessons (it wasn't dead, she'd always told him. It was just heavily wounded and bleeding on the ground. And therefore, he should at least _try_ to act like a gentleman!) had been drilled into his head. (The thought of Sarina sent a new bolt of pain racing through his system. Like flies, all the people he loved were dropping off, and once again, he was powerless to stop it. A lump rose in his throat, and he fought down another bout of tears. Crying when he was by himself was all well and good, but there was an older student and, even worse, _Lia_, standing in his room and he would be damned before he looked weak in front of either of them.)

" Good." Was all the girl said, and then she vanished into his bedroom. He blinked and then turned to Jaden, who was giving him a puzzling look. The brunet stared him down, then turned to look pointedly at this bedroom, and then back to the younger boy. He repeated the action when all he received from Aster was a confused blink.

Aster followed his gaze, his mind rushing to try and put the pieces together. Abruptly, it dawned on him.

" ...Lia's in my bedroom, going through my stuff, isn't she?"

Jaden nodded.

Aster nodded, very calm.

" Ah. I see."

The next second he had disappeared, tearing into the bedroom, his face stretched into a look of panic.

" _Don't touch anything_!"

" Diable? Aster, calmez-vous! I'm not doing anything!"

" Omigod, don't touch that! Put it down! What did you put in that bag? Give it!"

" Jesus Christ, take it easy! I haven't even touched the drawers yet!"

" You keep out of my drawers!"

" ...I'm gonna try really hard to forget you just said that."

And in the other room, listening to the fifteen-year-olds argue like a pair of second graders, Jaden shook his head with laugh.

* * *

Alexis sank down onto her bed (it was such a relief to finally be back in the Red Dorm, to have her old room back. Her two roommates spent an equal amount of time with her, and closeted up in Lia's room at Ra Yellow), glancing at the floor through her lashes. Jasmine was carefully applying nail polish to Lia's fingernails, chatting away happily with Mindy, who was sitting behind the Ra, playing with her hair. Lia herself looked a little glazed-eyed, not truly responding to a word either Obelisk had said to her. In fact, she seemed to not even be there at all.

Alexis frowned, and almost reached out to tap the younger girl on the shoulder. Her hand froze, however, before it got more than two inches off the bed.

She had to take it slow. Lia was still wary of her, jumpy like a startled rabbit. While she seemed to be fine with sitting with Alexis and spending time with her, the older girl had noticed the fact that Lia was very careful to never be alone with her. There was always someone else, usually Jaden or Syrus, and sometimes Aster Phoenix (which confused Alexis as much as it excited the hell out of Mindy and Jasmine, who, from what the blonde could translate of the garbled squeals the two had given, were already planning the perfect wedding. Alexis had already decided that she didn't want to be around when the news reached Lia. If her by now legendary spats with Chazz were anything to go by, Lia's temper had nowhere to go but up.), but Lia took great pains to never be alone with Alexis. It hurt, but the older girl understood the reasoning behind it. All she could was hope that someday, she and Lia could go back to the way they were.

The invitation to the wedding made her too happy to be expressed in words.

" Hel-lo, earth of Lia!" Jasmine playfully smacked Lia's forehead with her fist. The Ra girl jolted a little.

" Easy!" Mindy pouted. " I'm in the middle of something here, don't jump around so much."

" Sorry." Lia said softly, turning her head back to stare out the window. Jasmine frowned.

" Seriously, are you sure you're not sick? You've been a total space-case all evening."

" 'M fine."

" Yeah, like I haven't heard that one before." Jasmine felt Lia's forehead. " You're not overly warm..."

" I've just had a lot on my mind lately. I'm just tired, that's all." Mindy stopped with her hair twisting and flipping, and loosely wrapped her arms around Lia from behind. Resting her chin on the girl's shoulder, she looked up at Lia out of curious eyes.

" What's got you so worried?" At her frown, Mindy stuck her tongue out. " Besides the Society of Psychos."

" Just...you know, stuff." Alexis narrowed her eyes. Despite Lia's insistence that she wasn't sick, there was a distinct flush across her cheeks. Apparently, Jasmine had noticed it too, because the next second, she was leaning forward, a too-knowing grin on her face.

" Oh, I get it."

Lia frowned at her.

" Get what?"

" Yeah, Jazz, get what?" Mindy tightened her grip on Lia's shoulders, just in case the younger girl decided to lunge. Jasmine waved a finger reprimandingly in the other Obelisk's face.

" Mindy, Mindy, Mindy. And you call yourself my best friend. Isn't obvious?" She winked at the Ra, who was growing increasingly more red. " She's thinking about a boy."

" WHAT?" All three girls exploded, Lia in embarrassed fury, Mindy in euphoric delight, and Alexis in stunned shock.

" Yes, that's definitely it!" Jasmine took on a speaking pose. " Her total lack of interest in talking with us, that faraway look in her eyes, not to mention that adorable blush, there's absolutely no doubt about it!" She pointed triumphantly at the now scarlet Ra. " Our little Lia has grown out of her school-girl crush, and graduated into true love!"

There was a bout of stunned silence, then,

" I'll kill you with my bare hands."

Mindy immediately hauled the younger girl back, as Lia did try to lunge at Jasmine. The redhead laughed in delight and danced out of range, still pointing.

" More proof!" She shouted and ducked out of the way as Lia tried to grab her.

" Lia, calm down!" Alexis shouted, jumping off the bed to help Mindy restrain the struggling girl.

" I'm not in love with anyone!"

" Your lips say you're not, but your eyes say you are!"

" In a second, your eyes are gonna say 'oh god, the pain'!" Lia shouted, wiggling out of Mindy and Alexis' grasps and jumping forward, her fingers curled into claws. Jasmine was too busy laughing to care.

" Did someone mention love?" Atticus said suddenly as he dropped down through the window to land in front of Lia. The girl, naturally, screamed and fell backwards.

" Atty?" Alexis shouted. " What the hell, you idiot! Don't go jumping into people's windows!"

" I didn't jump through just anyone's window. You're my sister, so it's okay." Her brother explained, waving off her concerns.

" What if I'd been busy?"

" Busy with what, Sissy?"

" Think, pervers. "Lia growled. " What if she'd had someone over?"

Atticus frowned, tilting his head to the side in thought.

" Well, besides the fact that no one is good enough to touch my baby sister, I'd say that it would only be fair."

" How the hell do you figure that?" Alexis shrieked, bright red with anger and humiliation.

" Well, think of all the times you've come in while I've been..._busy_."

Alexis paused, and thought for a moment. Then she went pale and threw her hands over her eyes.

" Oh god, do you know how long it's taken me to repress that? And you brought it right back up, you sonovabitch!"

" Language, Lexi." Atticus chided.

" I'll show _you_ language!"

" Of course you will." Atticus said absentmindedly. Waltzing over to where Lia still sat, he dropped to his knees, easy grin on his face.

" So what's this I hear about you being in love, Kitten."

" Oh god, not you too." Lia groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose with her left hand. " Look, there is no boy. There was never any boy. There is not going to be a boy until well into university, got it?"

" You're lying." Jasmine taunted in a sing-song voice. Lia scowled at her. Atticus patted her condescendingly on the head.

" Now, now, Kitten, sheath your claws. You can tell us anything." He winked. " And the grand master of love himself will help you win the heart of whoever it is that's stolen yours."

" Bet it's Aster Phoenix," Mindy said sweetly. The entire room froze. Jasmine's eyes widened in shock as Alexis' hand flew to her mouth, trying to stifle the gasp that left her. Atticus went very stiff, his eyes going wide before narrowing into dark little slits.

" Better not be." He said, sounding more aggressive than Alexis had ever heard him. Lia shot him a glare.

" Even if it was, and it isn't because it isn't _anybody_, there's nothing wrong with Aster."

" Yeah, right." Atticus scoffed. The hazel-eyed glare intensified.

" Are you ever going to let that go?"

" You were _half naked_." Atticus snarled. " You were drunk and without a shirt. You can't tell me Phoenix wasn't planning something."

" We were _both_ drunk, and I trust Aster more than that!"

" Well, _I_ don't!"

" Well, then I guess it's a good thing that you weren't the one who got drunk with him!"

" I think you should stay away from him!"

" Don't tell me what to do, Rhodes!"

" I'll damn well tell you what to do when you don't realize how much danger you're in!"

" I'm not in any danger!"

" Not in-!" Atticus suddenly hauled Lia to her feet, his hands clenched so tight in her white hoodie that his knuckles had gone white. Mindy made a move to pull him off, but Alexis barred her way, shaking her head at Mindy's questioning look. She could count on one hand the number of times she'd seen her brother with such a dark face, and one of them was before the Sacred Beasts as he explained that if she stayed, Lia was as good as dead. Whatever Atticus had to say, it was clearly important.

Of course, that didn't stop her from gasping as her brother very gently put his hand around Lia's throat.

" You call this not in danger?" He whispered, and Lia's shoulders slumped.

" Is this the part where you tell me to run?" She whispered. Atticus' face softened, and his arms came up to embrace the shivering girl.

" Yes." He said softly, pulling Lia to his chest. " Turn around and run away, Lia. There are things going on here that won't end well, no matter who wins."

" You don't know that." Lia's voice sounded like a plea. Alexis' heart clenched.

" But I do." Atticus' voice was almost lost under the suffocating silence. There was split second where Alexis swore Lia was going to give up, to listen to what Atticus was saying, and slump into his arms, asking him without words to take her far away from Duel Academy and the pain it was causing her. " There are forces here at work that can't be stopped, and I really think it would be best for you to-"

" Atticus, that isn't fair!" Alexis felt her mouth move without her permission. Both brunettes turned to look at her. Atticus had his eyes narrowed in irritation, as if he'd sensed that Lia was beginning to see it his way. Lia herself was little more than a pair of bright hazel eyes, questioning and daring and begging Alexis to give her a reason to stay.

" Atty." Alexis swallowed. " ...Atticus, this isn't your decision to make. If Lia wants to stay, she should be able to stay."

" She's in danger, Lex." Atticus was glaring at her, and for once, Alexis didn't feel the need to back down. This wasn't about her brother's pride or his borderline hero complex, or even her own insecurities about her relationship with Lia. This was about the fact that Lia had been through too much, done too many things, given up too many chances, to deserve being told to give up when the finish line was in sight.

" She's earned her place here, Atticus." Alexis hissed. Her brother's face darkened.

" Her place? You're telling me her place is here, where she could be killed? She could _die_, Lex! Remember last year? Remember what happened?" Alexis flinched. " We almost lost her last year! And now look at what's happened! Look at it, Alexis!" He gestured to Lia's still bruised neck.

" Atticus..."

" I won't let it happen!" He shouted in desperation. " I won't let myself lose anyone else! Not her, not you, not anyone! I'm sick and tired of seeing the people I love get taken away from me when I could've saved them! You hear me? I'm not gonna sit back and let the course take her away! I _can't_!"

Alexis was still. Reflected in her brother's eyes was an agony she hadn't seen since he'd watched his lover vanish into a swirl of light. Every line of his body was taunt with pain, and for the first time, if occurred to Alexis that her usually unflappable older brother was just as unnerved, just as thrown off, just as _frightened_ by the events of the year as she was. Her brother, who had been her rock since as long as she could remember, was out of his mind terrified, and wanted desperately to protect the people he loved against an enemy that had no name, no face, and he thought they had every little chance of beating.

At once, it was humbling and infuriating.

" You don't think we can win."

Atticus face looked so tired, so old, that Alexis felt her heart break a little.

" I know we can't.

" Stop it." Mindy hissed through her teeth. She had moved over towards Lia. Her glare at Atticus was sharp and angry.

" Min-"

" No, Atticus." She shook her head. " You think we don't know what we're up against? You think we're going into this thinking that it'll be easy? You really think we don't know what we're up against?" She gestured behind her. " You weren't there! You didn't see Chazz turn everyone in the Blue Dorm! You didn't watch that awful burning swallow up their eyes and their faces get paler, and you didn't have to listen to them, that first night. The chanting almost drove me out of my head! I've never been so scared in my life. I stayed with Jess because I couldn't stop shaking! I just lay on the floor and listen to their voices, and I couldn't tell one from the other! It was like there was a hive of bees buzzing around under the floor, like a hive mind or something, and there was no one person anymore. They were all part of the Society, with one goal and one dream and one _fucking_ voice and I couldn't take it! I'd rather go deaf a hundred times over than be forced to listen to that again!"

Mindy's shoulders were shaking. Her face was downturned, but anyone could tell that she was crying. Jasmine placed a gentle, comforting hand on her shoulder, and Mindy slowly raised her eyes.

" Don't tell us that we don't know what we're up against. Don't tell us that we're just kids. You got stuck in the darkness? Fine, I saw people I love very dearly become slaves to the Light. I'm not a kid, and I'm not stupid, but I know that giving up at this point in the game is suicide. Is that what you want? Do you want us to just lie down and let this happen?"

Her eyes were bright with tears, as they'd suspected. But there was a fierceness in them too, a kind of quiet strength that Mindy had most certainly not had in her before. She didn't look so fragile anymore. She didn't look so weak. Instead, it was as if the girl she'd been only days before had vanished, and in her place was a woman.

Atticus, for once, had no words.

" Because we can't." Mindy continued, this time advancing on the brunet. " We can't just do that. We couldn't last year and we won't this year. Don't you tell us that we've got no shot at winning because come hell or high water, we are seeing this thing through to the end."

Atticus glared at the girl before him, but it was weaker than before.

" You don't have the right to ask her to die for a hope, Mindy."

There was a stunned silence that followed. Alexis felt her throat get clogged up again, this time with something colder than anger. Guilt gnawed at her insides, making her feel sick. She could finally see what her brother was trying to say, and as much as she despised it, she could admit that he had a point.

Mindy opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to come up with an argument. Jasmine squeezed her shoulder.

" That isn't your choice to make."

" Yes." He countered softly. " It is."

" Bullshit."

The room jumped.

They'd forgotten Lia. In all the confusion, in all the feelings flying about, crashing into each other with the force of nuclear blasts, the occupants of the room had forgotten the original source of the argument. Lia stood, stance set, with a grim look on her face. Her arms were crossed over her chest and the look in her eyes clearly said exactly what she thought of Atticus' points.

" That's complete and utter bullshit." Her gaze sharpened. " And you know it."

" Lia-" The older boy began, but abruptly, Lia stormed forward until she was almost nose to nose with him (which, upon reflection, was actually quite funny, given that Lia had to stand on her tip-toes just to be able look Atticus in the nose. But no one felt like laughing in that moment).

" Don't." She hissed, and the word rung out like a sword being pulled from its sheath. Alexis sucked in a shuddering breath.

" Don't tell me to leave. Don't say that I have to go. Don't tell me that kind of crap and expect me to just jump up and obey."

" Lia, you don't understand the danger you're in-"

" Atty, _please_!" And for the first time, in dawned on Alexis that those were tears threatening to spill over in Lia's eyes.

The girl lowered her head, leaning forward until her weight was supported by Atticus entirely. The boy blinked in confusion, his arms raising as if to embrace her before falling back to his sides like dead weight. Lia, if she noticed, paid him no mind. Her shoulders shook, and her hands came up to grip his shirt.

" Please." She whispered, but in the silence of the room, it echoed like a cry. " Please don't tell me to leave. I can't."

Atticus didn't say anything for a moment. Then, slowly, haltingly, as though it was somehow wrong for him to do it, he gently placed his arms around her shoulders, pulling the girl to his chest.

" I don't want you to die." He whispered into her hair. Lia's head shook.

" I don't want to either."

" Then-"

" But if I have to, isn't it better to die with friends?"

The question stopped him dead. Lia raised her head, just a little, so that the older boy could look into her watery, but firm hazel eyes. From the angle at which she stood, Alexis could see them too. They twisted something in the pit of her stomach, but the sensation wasn't entirely unpleasant. It was a little like what she'd felt the moment she'd realized who Nightshroud was under his mask. It was the same stabbing bite of terror coupled with euphoria of relief, making her light-headed as it grounded her at the same time. It was something like pain and something like happiness, and it rendered Alexis completely mute. Under the nervous airs and careful avoidance, her Lia, the scared, strong, utterly loyal and hopeful girl, had finally re-emerged from her cocoon.

" Don't tell me to leave, Atticus. I don't know what'll happen tomorrow...hell, I don't even know what's gonna happen in an hour. But I what I do know is...that right now, right at this very moment...I'm happy."

The soft, rhythmic beats of Lia's ring tone cut through the solemn, shocked air. Scrambling, Lia dove for the bag she'd left lying on the bed behind Atticus.

_Je suis un seul puis des millions._

_Je suis un homme au cœur de lion._

_A la guerre, en toute saison-_

Lia flipped the phone open.

" Ah, bon soir?" She said into the device, looking flushed. As Alexis watched Lia, her face melted into a puzzled frown.

" You're sure?...No, I think it's wonderful, it's just...No, no, nothing like that. It's just that...well, he seemed a little..._off_, didn't he?...Well, if you're sure...No, nothing, I'm just having a rough day...Yeah, I was kinda there, remember?...Yeah...yeah, okay...Uh-huh, talk to you later...Tell him I said hi...Okay, bye."

Hanging up, Lia turned around to face the group.

" That was Aster." She gave Atticus a withering glare out of her still glimmering eyes when he looked ready to protest. " He says that he's going to visit his foster father." She bit her lower lip.

" So he's okay?" Jasmine asked, looking relieved. Lia nodded. " That's good."

" Yeah..." Lia murmured.

" What is it?" Alexis asked with a frown. And, completely opposite to everything she'd been doing since Alexis had forced the Light out of her body, Lia shot a worried look at the blonde woman.

" It's..." The Ra girl looked at her pleadingly. " I mean...do _you_ have a bad feeling about this?"

When Lia paled considerably at her answer, Alexis almost wished she had lied. But her parents had raised her to believe in the many virtues of honesty, and so the Obelisk found she could do nothing but nod her head in agreement.

* * *

Hello, everyone. Sorry for the delay- I've had a bit of trouble with both weather and signing up for university courses, due to the fact that the people who run the website seem to think that leaving courses up that have been cancelled in order to look like they are still available is a very funny joke.

Guess what. It's not. ...Jerks.

Sorry, I've been steaming about that all day, mostly because they took down my four top picks. Am I gonna have a bone to pick...

Anywho, here is this chapter! I'm almost at the end of the story in stock-piled chapters (just need to finish off the Ojin fight, and then move ontp the Sartorius fights, and I will be DAMNED before there is a T-Rex Hassleberry floating around in space, helping Jaden's main alien card fight off an evil mind-control satellite. ...I want you to read that sentence very carefully, and then think about what sort of world we live in that could allow for an image to exist that calls for THAT summary.) But yeah, nearing the end. I have been fighting off bouts of writers block by...well,...writing Hetalia, which Agent Malkere introduced me to, and promptly got me addicted. Me and my stupid anime-latching-onto-habits. They can be really annoying. So, that's been distracting. That, and I have to watch how many videos I watch so that I don't go over the limit.

But back to this chapter.

Poor, poor Aster. Remember what I said last week, about squirming whenever The D is on screen? Well, squirm some more my lovelies, because here we have this poor, scared, orphaned boy, desperately afraid to lose his father figure all over again. And we all know what kind of a sick fuck that father figure is. Aster's concern is meant to be equal parts touching, and uncomfortable. I know that I felt uncomfortable writing it.

Special thanks to the wonderful Mizumaru Mari for correcting me on the use of 'Okaa-san/Otou-san'. She pointed out the different variations that I could use, as well as telling me which ones would be appropriate for Jaden. Going by her advice, I've chosen to show that Jaden is a little closer to his mother, or at least, he emulates her more than his dad. I think this is another reason Jaden had so many girl friends back in Japan. His mother, while not around overly much, is a very strong influence. I won't say anything more, because his parents are coming up very, very soon.

And now, onto my favourite bit:

" But I what I do know is...that right now, right at this very moment...I'm happy."

Lia has never really said this before. She's never full-out said, " I'm happy." It's not that she hasn't been, but she's always let the others read between the lines or interpret her silences. Saying in out loud is a very powerful confession. And it's the only thing that could shut Atticus up at this point. Didn't I tell you he was far from done trying to 'save her'?

Atticus is traumatized. He hides it well. He pretends that he's dealing with it. He says that he's starting to heal. He's not. Lia to him is more than just his friend or his psuedo-little sister. She represents all the people Atticus lost thta night. She's Talia. She's Dion. She's every Academic who was immediately swallowed up by the shadows because they lacked the duel energy necessary to survive. Lia is both his failure thrown back in his face and his chance at redemption. She is also the person Yasmin sacrificed everything to see. Atticus sees it as his duty as her lover to take up her mantle. He feels like he's inherited that responsibility from Yasmin. Not that he doesn't love Lia on his own. He does. He loves her very, very much. But I don't think he'd be as adamant about her getting out if she was a Duelist.

There was a quote in _The Half-Blood Prince_ that nearly brought me to tears the first time I read it:

_'You said to us once before,' said Hermione quietly, 'that there was time to turn back if we wanted to. We've had time, haven't we?'_

_'We're with you whatever happens,' said Ron._

That is, in my humble opinion, the most beautiful and heart-warming expression of friendship I have ever read. It doesn't matter what life throws that the Trio at this point. Both Ron and Hermione have had the time to think about what it is that they want out of life. They've both had time to realize the incredible danger of being with Harry. And they've both decided that they're with him 'til the end.

I wanted so badly to try and capture just a small part of that feeling in Lia's statement. I hope I succeeded. I hope that you'll all take a second to remember the bitter, angry, almost hopeless girl I introduced way back in the second chapter of _Year One_. And I want you to, in your mind, put her next to the girl in this chapter, the girl who, almost in tears and clearly very, very afraid, looks into the eyes of someone trying to push her away for her own safety (and yes, I know this is a horribly run-along-y sentence) and says: But right now...I'm _happy._

My greatest wish is that that means something to you, as a reader. As someone who has tracked Lia's development from the very first chapter of the first story. At the end of _Year One_, I went on a big long rant about Lia and how she'd changed over the course of the story. I don't think I'll have to do that in this story. I think that that line sums it up pretty well.

The song for her ringtone is _Je Suis Un Homme_ by Zazie. It's really good, and I reccommend looking it up. There's something almost hypnotic about the beats. It roughly translates as:

I am the only/I am alone, then millions

I am a man with the heart of a lion.

At war, in all seaons/all year round

It seemed appropriate for Lia, what with all the cat comparisons, and the fact that one of her themes is 'isolation'. And then the last line is 'Moi je tourne en rond, je tourne en rond', which basically means: I go around in circles.

I think that's all for this week, see you soon!

MoS


	50. Cracking Reality

Warning: Shit is, to borrow a phrase, about to get very, very REAL. Hang on-

Lia: And just WHERE the HELL have YOU been?

Uh, Lia, honey, can we talk about this somewhere else-

Lia: Oh no! You are gonna stand right there and fucking explain where you disappeared off to!

I was busy!

Lia: Busy my ASS!

Aster: And what a fine a-

Lia: One more word and I'm castrating you!

Aster: Shutting up. *leans over a little to look at Lia as she yells*

Look, I hit a really big snag, and I got caught up in that Hetalia piece, and then I got a new idea for how to work a scene in Year Three and I had to develope it, and-

Lia: Enough of your excuses! You are an absolute failure! A SNAG? You told me you had the whole damn ending scene planned out!

I do! I just...I know where I wanna go from a certain point, but it's getting to that point that's giving me trouble.

Lia: Sounds like, 'I don't care enough about this project to work on it' to me!

That's unfair! You KNOW how much this means to me! You know how much I LOVE this fanfic!

Lia: Well, you're doing a helluva job showing it! You were lurking arond mangareader waiting for the next Skip Beat to come out, and rereading the Kingdom Hearts II manga!

What part of 'Ky-aaaa! AkuRoku evidence!' did you not understand?

Lia: That isn't a reason to neglect this story! You've been spending an awful lot of time with your other OC's lately!

What, is that it? Are you feeling neglected?

Lia: Shut up! That's not it at all! I just can't stand how distracted you've been lately! What does that say about me as a character, given that I was created by such a lazy girl!

It says that you're not a self-insert, given how different you are from me.

Lia: Stop making jokes and apologize to THEM! *points to audience*. THEY'RE the ones who choose to put up with your bullshit! THEY'RE the ones who you keep disappointing with your pathetic update schedule! So get on your knees and START GROVELLING, _BITCH_!

...

Aster: ...That was the hottest thing I've ever seen.

Lia: You say something, prick?

Aster: Seriously. Take me, I'm yours. Right here.

Lia: *recoils, blushing* Quit mocking me, jackass!

...Uh, honey, I think he's serious.

Lia: No, he's NOT! And you're not grovelling!

Okay, okay!*gets on knees* I really have no excuses other than...there's been a really rough patch of writing. I'm stuck at the very end of the Ojin duel. I know where I wanna go after it, and even how I wanna end it, but the build-up is throwing me for a loop, and it's a fairly important part, so I don't want to botch it up. I can only ask that you be patient with me, because as much as I hate myself for not sticking to my schedule, I'd hate myself even more for presenting both you and myself with something that didn't do justice to the scene I want to portray. That being said, ...Uh, I think I went a little overboard with The D.

Aster: Do you enjoy my torment?

Huh?

Aster: Well, I mean, there's the way you have me reacting to my father's death, and what you put me through in this chapter is pretty brutal, not to mention...*looks at Lia; shivers* THAT.

Lia: *eyes narrow* And just what does THAT mean? Huh? What're you trying to say?

Aster: That I have never been so turned on in my life and if you would just give me a few minutes, I'm sure I could do a pretty good job of convincing you-

Control your hormones!

Aster: *glares sulkily* This is your fault, you know. It wasn't half this bad, and then you made me fall in love with her all the way!

Keep you voice down, she doesn't know that yet!

Aster: I'd bette get a DAMN good confession scene. Hell, I'd better GET a confession scene.

Oh, you do, you do.

Aster: I do NOT like the way you said that.

It's complicated.

Aster: That's NEVER good. Uncomplicate it.

And lose that heart-wrenching subplot? NEVER.

Lia: What the hell are you two going on about? In case you've forgotten, we have a story to present!

Huh? Oh yeah, right. *turns to readers* Please enjoy the next chapter in the Yearverse series.

Lia: *kicks in the shin* Don't act so cool and refined. It pisses me off.

Everything pisses you off.

Lia: With good reason.

Still, you're not the angriest character I've ever created.

Aster: That would be Miche, right?

Nope, Mia-chi.

Lia: Who?

Well, you'll see. If I ever get around to writing that story.

Lia: More procrastination. What a surprise.

Aster: Easy, babe. You'll pop a blood vessel.

Lia: Who said you could touch me?

Aster: Five minutes, that's all I need.

Phoenix, don't make me throw cold water on you. Anywho, without further adieu (I hope), on with the chapter!

Lia: Your pronunciation was awful.

Go to the disclaimer!

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_.

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

" Hey babe." Aster said, trying to make his voice sound light, which was made difficult by the lump in this throat. Clearing his throat, he quickly jumped into a conversation, trying to hold off the furious retort he was sure was coming. " Listen, I can't chat for long. I just wanted to ask you to tell Jaden and his gang that I'm gonna go visit the D tonight." There was a pause at the other end of the line, like she was trying to gather her thoughts. Aster didn't give her the chance. " Just wanted to tell you that, so don't worry about me, okay? The D's fine too, but he says he wants to talk to me, so I gotta head out, or else I risk getting grounded, you know?" He laughed a laugh that really wasn't, because it was a weak attempt at humour, and Aster's palm was sweaty and clammy against the metal of his phone. He wondered why he hadn't opted for a video chat on the Duel Academy-issued vidphone, but it just felt wrong. He was jolted from his thoughts as Lia's voice murmured something into his ear. She sounded upset, almost like she'd been crying, and Aster made a mental note to go and check on her once he and the D had finished. D probably wouldn't mind it if Aster skipped out a little earlier on their meeting. After all, he'd seemed to really like Lia.

" Yeah, I'm sure. Aren't you happy for me?...What, you think he was lying about being okay?...Off? I guess you could say that. I mean, he hasn't had to defend his title in four years, so maybe it was psyching him out a little...Yeah, don't worry. I'll come and see you afterwards. You sound kinda down...I know the feeling. My day's been no hell either...How could I forget. Now go make yourself a cup of hot chocolate, or something, okay?...Don't just 'yeah' me, lie down, you sound like you could use a cat-nap...Atta girl. You'll be back to biting my head off before you know it...Yeah, I'd better get going or I'm gonna be late, and D hates that...I will. Later babe."

He hung up before she could yell at him, but as his finger moved over the button, he heard the faint whisper of her voice saying goodbye, and warmth flooded him. It was stupid, and insane, and it probably meant nothing, but hearing her say that to him made him so happy it was borderline pathetic.

Aster sighed as he disconnected the call, staring down at the phone with a small smile on his face.

Scratch that, it wasn't borderline pathetic.

It had crossed the borderline so long ago that the line wasn't even visible anymore.

Aster leaned back against the wall of the room.

" I am in such deep trouble." He murmured, bringing a hand up to cover his eyes. Despite the self-mocking tone of his voice, the sappy, content smile still hadn't left his face.

" Could be worse." He decided as he turned to walk towards the controls. Regardless of whatever his heart was doing, he had an appointment to get to, and if there was one thing Sarina had drilled into his head besides behaving like a gentleman, it was that punctuality was a virtue above all others. Even opponents he had to meet across the duel arena deserved to be treated with a touch of decency.

(He avoided thinking about Sarina's advice nowadays. He would avoid thinking about Sarina all together, if he could. Unfortunately for him, Sarina was such a large part of his life, such a huge influence, that every move he made instantly reminded him of her. He brushed his teeth before bed because Sarina had insisted on it for most of his childhood. He thought about offering Lia his coat every time she looked the least bit cold because he knew Sarina would've wanted him to. He kept the most secretive of secretive journals because Sarina had impressed upon him at an early age the importance of organizing his thoughts and _writing things down_. She'd been there for so long, giving him advice, showing him how to do things, teaching him to be a better person; it was impossible to block her from his mind. She'd made him who he was, taken in an angry, confused little boy and taught him about courage and kindness and justice. Where Sartorius had been at a loss and the D had been unavailable, Sarina was there, his guiding light. Aster could hardly remember his mother's face. When he tried to picture it, it was Sarina Nevin's high cheekbones and dark eyes that he saw in his mind.)

" Ho-kay then, D. Let's find out what's so important that we couldn't talk over the phone, shall we?" Aster muttered to himself. He'd been doing that a lot as of late, he'd noticed. It was probably a sign that he was slowly descending into madness, but then, he'd never had much faith in his sanity anyway. A double major in Criminology and Duel Strategy (and how he'd gotten the university to agree to that, even he wasn't certain) completed at the tender age of fourteen, a hunt for his father's murderer than had taken root at age _eight_, and a copious amount of time spent in the company of Jaden Yuki all pointed towards a psyche ward and a padded room.

Aster shook his head as he laughed at himself.

" I am in _so_ much trouble here."

The trip itself didn't take very long. The D had sent the coordinates to him, and Aster had been handling boat controls for about three or four years. The legality of his license was a little shady, but he was a star in the pro-circuit of dueling. No one was going to question whether or not he was fit to drive a boat about 2 and a half kilometres away from where it was docked.

The trip hadn't been long at all. What had delayed him were his own misgivings. There had been something in the D's voice, something wrong about it, and it had Aster on edge. The D had every right to be stressed and put out, given that the match had clearly ended in flames. (What had occurred afterwards was a mystery, as was the victor. The smoke had completely blotted out the goings-on, and then the screen had been covered by static, the connection lost.) He had every right to be a little testy, given that he hadn't duelled to defend his title in four years. He had every right to be a touch out of it, given what had been going on the world, what with the damn Light and Its influence.

But there was still something in the way the D had said his name that had Aster hesitating.

" Stop freaking out over nothing." He berated himself as he climbed onto the deck of the D's boat. Although, 'boat' was a bit of a loose term. Yacht seemed more appropriate, and even then, it wasn't a proper fit. The D owned a 'boat' large enough to host its own pleasure cruise at any given time. There was always staff on board, cooks and maids and others, all of whom all but lived on the ship in order to be ready whenever the D wanted to 'take a break'.

Occasionally, and Aster only knew about because he was the D's son, his foster father would hold 'just-for-fun' dueling tournaments with a few friends on the ship. The rooms, especially the grand entrance hall, were spacious enough to accommodate both a set of players and a healthy sized audience. The games were never too serious, and nothing was lost or gained outside of bragging rights, but the D kept his life as private as possible. Aster had never really gone to the boat tournaments because he was usually with Sartorius and Sarina, something the D approved of. Aster needed his friends, the D had always told them when he thought Aster was too sleepy to pay attention to the conversation. He needs people who will help him overcome all that anger in him.

Aster didn't think of it as anger. He thought of it as a thirst for justice.

(Unbidden, he thought of Lia's tear-filled eyes that night so long ago. She'd been furious at him, claiming that he was destroying his father's memory, and he hadn't had the words to fight back. There had been something very sincere in her anger, and maybe, now, he could understand a little better. Justice aside, he'd been able to say goodbye, and that was more than some people ever got. So maybe, he could start to let go of all that –_anger_- thirst for justice, bit by tiny bit.)

Still, there were no people on the boat but him and the D, as far as Aster could tell. His footsteps echoed eerily in the dimly lit hallways, and he had to wonder why the D hadn't sprung for better lighting on his massive ship. The fifteen-year-old chalked it up to the D's love of the dramatic, and the fact that his foster father hadn't been able to see Aster at Halloween, and therefore, missed out on his annual prank (re: scare Aster utterly witless and laugh as he tries to get his heart beat back to a normal pace while glaring. Needless to say, Aster had not missed that tradition.)

The door to the entrance hall was as massive as ever, and Aster couldn't help but feel dwarfed by it and everything else. The D liked large things. Large televisions screens, large houses, large, vicious attack dogs to guard said houses. Aster didn't like the wolfhounds or the Rottweilers the man employed. The D had once told him that he hadn't really had much of anything in his childhood, and he wanted Aster to have the best money could buy. At the time, Aster had been flattered and delighted that such a kind, caring man had wanted to take him in. At fifteen, however, he was starting to wonder how anyone could think that money would buy happiness.

The doors creaked open, and Aster shuddered.

He walked in cautiously, because it would be just like his foster father to be lurking behind the door, ready to jump out and scare the living hell out of him, just for kicks. When he caught no movements out of the corner of his eyes, Aster was surprised to find that, instead of calming him down, the lack of noise and motion only served to make him all the more tense and wary.

" Calm down, man." He hissed to himself. He wished, almost without realizing it, that he'd brought someone with him. Maybe Jaden, who seemed to be able to brighten up any situation no matter how grim. Maybe Lia, who seemed to be almost without fear, despite the marks on her neck. Maybe that Alexis girl, because while he didn't know her too well, he knew a hero when he saw one, and that girl didn't back down from anything, be it mortal or god. But he hadn't brought anyone with him, because he'd been so eager to see the only father figure he had left. He sighed.

" I am getting paranoid."

" Now, now. A little paranoia is good. It makes you pay attention."

Aster nearly jumped a foot in the air as the D's voice echoed through the empty room.

" D-D, you in here?" Aster cursed himself for stuttering. Though he really couldn't blame himself. The D had yet to turn on any lights, and the only way Aster could see was by the faint moonlight streaming in from the windows.

" Aster, my boy." The voice was trying to sound jovial, like the D really was happy to see him. It failed, however, to mask the underlying threat in its tone. The hairs at the back of Aster's neck stood on end, and he let his body tense to spring. " You and I don't get any..._quality time together_ anymore."

' Never has that sentence sounded more like 'I have you right where I want you.' Creepy much?' Aster thought before he could stop himself. He really didn't _want_ to be creeped out by the D, but the circumstances were not helping in the least. He could just barely make out his foster father's form as it leaned against the equally large door on the opposite end of the hall. With the shadows playing tricks on his eyes and the atmosphere becoming less and less welcoming, Aster swallowed thickly, prayed the D hadn't seen, and tried to make casual conversation.

" S-So, what happened? Did you win today?" Aster tried to sound enthusiastic, but it was difficult to sound anything but terrified around the cold lump in his throat. He felt choked off, like the air was coming into his body wrong. No, that wasn't it. The air itself was wrong, and he couldn't breathe it, because it was humming with something Aster couldn't quite remember the name of. " What am I saying, of course you did! You're the champ! You musta beat that guy six ways from Sunday!"

" Oh, right. You missed the ending." Something in the way the man said 'ending' had alarm bells going off in Aster's head.

' There's something wrong here, there's something very wrong.' He was taking shallow breathes, and trying very hard not to look like he was, because he couldn't let the D know how freaked out he was. ' Don't show fear. A predator can smell it a mile away.'

But why was he thinking of the D in terms of a predator?

" Are you sure you want to know the details?" The D had started walking towards him. His hands were folded behind his back, and his stance was very light and casual, but Aster's heart was racing. There was a very dark implication in the D's tone, a sinister note that Aster couldn't place, but knew he'd heard it somewhere before.

' Do I want to know what happened?' Aster thought, and the answer came almost immediately. No. God no. He'd never wanted anything less in his life. Everything was going wrong and he didn't know why but it was because of D, and no, Aster didn't want to know how the match had ended. He never wanted to know how the match had ended. But as the D's son, he'd want to know, and as a Duelist, he'd want to know, and as Aster Phoenix, darling of the Pro-Leagues and set to take over his father's legacy, he'd want to know.

So Aster clenched his fists and fought off a bout of blind panic that threatened to send him screaming towards the nearest exit.

" Of course!" Aster said, trying to play off the fear in his voice as excitement. " Did he lose?"

The D chuckled, but it wasn't a nice sound. It sent shivers down his back. It was so wrong, it was all so wrong, but the biggest problem was that he had no idea what 'it' was, and that was even more disturbing.

" 'Did he lose.'" The D shook his head in a familiar, patronizing manner. Only this thing, the usually comforting gesture was warped, like Aster was looking at it through a funhouse mirror.

" Aster, no Duelist in the world can defeat me."

' Bad, this is bad, this is so fucking bad I am fucking s_crewed_!' Aster thought, struggling to keep calm.

" How'd you win?" 'I don't want to know, I don't want to know, please don't tell me, let me go, I wanna go back!'

The D was laughing again, and it sounded like how Aster imagined Jack the Ripper would sound as he cackled over the corpse of another unlucky prostitute.

" Why, I used my secret weapon, of course."

' I should never have come here tonight.' Aster realized with a jolt. The D hadn't quite stepped into the moonlight yet, but from what Aster could make out of his face, there was a very unpleasant smile on it.

" Poor Doctor Collector...The man didn't know what hit him. I had him gibbering like a madman by the end."

' I've heard this voice before. I've heard someone speaking like this. Where have I heard it?' Aster's mind raced as the D took another step forward. ' I know I know it. C'mon, Aster, think! You're a prodigy, this should be a piece of cake! Think!'

" He was nothing but a husk when it was all over. Shame, he seemed to have so much fire in him."

' This is familiar! Think, you stupid bastard! Remember already!'

" ...so much life."

' It's on the tip of my tongue, goddamnit! Why can't I remember?'

" ...so much _potential_."

" _I see a great deal of...potential, shall we say...in this Jaden Yuki. It would be in your best interests to duel him. A real duel this time."_

And the world stopped turning.

' Sartorius.' Aster's mind whispered, even as he couldn't bring himself to believe it. ' He sounds like Sartorius did the day I duelled Jaden. He sounds exactly like Sartorius did the day I...'

Aster's heart froze.

' ...the day Jaden went blind...'

And everything that had happened from the moment the D had called him to the very instant he remembered suddenly, horrifying, slipped into place.

' ...from the Light.'

" No." He whispered, and it sounded like a plea.

The D stepped into the moonlight. His face was twisted into a psychotic grin, the silver light bouncing off of the sharp canines he bared. He looked abnormally pale, almost sickly, but Aster knew better. He'd moved his hands into his pockets, affecting to look calm and relaxed. Instead, he looked every inch the predator, a panther, black as midnight, hunting him in the shadows. Aster had never felt so small, so weak, so utterly terrified before in his life. With a frightened gulp (and this time, he didn't care _who_ heard it), he slowly dragged his eyes up to meet the D's.

They were narrowed in madness, twin specks of undiluted, sadistic joy.

They were burning, and Aster had to fight to keep from falling to his knees.

" Shall I tell you about it?" Came the whisper of a madman, and Aster stopped fighting.

* * *

Aster threw a hand over his mouth and tried not to throw up.

A little ways away, the D stood, uncaring as his foster son, breathed in panic, staccato breaths, eyes wild with grief and fear.

" You sadistic, sick, sonova-" Aster started looking at once, horrified and enraged. The D cut him off.

" Uh, uh, uh. Language." He seemed to take perverse delight in playing the responsible parent.

" Shut up!" Aster roared, still kneeling on the ground. His stomach hadn't settled, and he didn't want to tempt fate by climbing to his feet just yet. " Shut the fuck up! Where the fuck do you get off-For fuck's sake, you watched that man _burn_!"

" It's not the first time, nor do I intend it to be the last." Aster paled.

" That's...You can't... You fucking piece of _shit_!"

" Now, now, where have your manners gone?" The grin on his face became even more sadistic, if that was possible. " What would Sarina say if she could hear you right now?"

Aster snapped. There was only so much he could take, only so much that could be thrown at him before everything just came crashing down. The taunt about Sarina was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. Aster was on his feet before he realized what was happening. There was red on the edges of his vision. He couldn't think, couldn't breathe, because all there was was the bubbling, boiling fury that was heating his body to the point of spontaneous combustion.

" _You fucker_!" He roared, and threw a punch.

The D caught it with no effort, smirking into Aster's furious face.

" Take it easy. I was just making an observation."

" You leave Sarina out of it!" The boy snarled. The D simply sneered, and threw him to the side. Aster hit the floor and forced himself into a roll, coming to a stop in a kneeling position. His shoulder ached from where it had slammed into the wooden deck under his feet. The D shook his head.

" You always were too impulsive." He dropped his hands back into his pockets and started to walk forward, looking calm and cool. Aster wanted to smash his face in so much that his hands actually started to itch. " Take a moment, relax. I brought you here so that we could have a little fun."

A second later, he kicked Aster hard in the chest and sent the boy sprawling. Aster let out a pain grunt as his back hit the floor for the second in a matter of moments. The D casually placed a foot on Aster's chest, pinning him to ground as he leaned down to talk.

" Nothing too much, just a friendly little match between a father and his son." He raised his fingers and snapped them.

The massive door that Aster had come throw closed with a bang, and the D laughed as Aster shot it a panicked look.

" Only one way out." He jerked the finger to the door he'd been leaning on when Aster came in. " That's it over there. I'm afraid all the other exits are sealed."

" What do you want?" Aster asked through gritted teeth. The pressure on his chest increased.

" Weren't you listening, Aster my boy? I want us to spend some quality time together."

" Burn in hell, fucker." He was kicked in the chest again. The D clucked disapprovingly, and leaned down to scoop Aster up by the front of his shirt.

" I must confess that I'm disappointed in this foul-mouthed attitude you've picked up. Maybe shipping you off to school wasn't such a good idea. You seem to have fallen in with a bad crowd. Not that Sartorius was ever much of a role model to look up to, right Aster?"

This time, the punch did connect. The D let go of him with a yelp and stumbled back, his hand automatically coming up to touch his not broken, but still bleeding nose. Aster fell back against the wall, using it as a buffer to hold himself upright. Through the fingers he had splayed over his face, the D glared at him. Aster couldn't bring himself to care. The fear that had dominated him for the better part of the visit had finally vanished, replaced by the same anger the D had always seemed so eager to get rid of. Aster spat to the side, ignoring the fact that what landed on the carpet was coloured with red.

" You shut your goddamn mouth. You don't get to talk about my _family_ like that!"

The D chuckled again, the ugly sound grating on Aster's ears.

" Your family? Aster, you don't have a family. You haven't had a family since the day they dragged your daddy's broken corpse up outta the water!"

" _SHUT UP!_" He was close to crying. God help him, he was closer to crying than he'd ever been in years. Nothing made sense anymore, he couldn't tell what was a lie and what was the truth, or who had been telling him either. He didn't know anything, and the only thing he could think of, even though he really didn't want to, was the body bag being zipped up as the police lights flashed all around him, and an officer was leaning down and talking very softly in his ear, and the other officer handling the dogs hung her head and it was all so wrong and-

" What do you want?" Aster hissed from behind gritted teeth. His head was pounding, and he really wasn't willing to start thinking about That Day anymore than he had to.

" It's not what I want, Aster." The D was moving towards him yet again, those awful, burning eyes fixed on the younger male. Part of him wanted to fight. Another part wanted to run. A third part wanted the D to go back to being the kind, wonderful father figure he'd always been. Yet another part wanted to reach for his phone and call for help, call for Jaden, for anyone who could come and make everything alright again.

" It's what the Light wants that matters." And even though he'd seen it coming, Aster still felt the world plunge from beneath his feet. The D was being controlled by the Light. The D was as good as a member of the Society of Psychos, and he was no better than the man who'd tried to strangle Lia.

" And I'm afraid that today, the Light wants you. But don't be afraid, my boy."

" I'm not your boy." Aster could feel the pounding in his head increase until he was surprised it wasn't pulsating visibly.

The D paused to consider this.

" No, maybe not. But, one way or another, you're going to see the Light, and be set free."

Aster pushed off from the wall.

" Listen, I don't know if you know this, but I've heard this spiel before. I've been hearing it for the past several months. And as far as I'm concerned, it's total bullcrap. I can see just fine, light or no light, so you can take your 'illumination', and shove right up your ass because it's not _happening_!"

" But don't you want to be free?" The D said, sounding mockingly concerned. " Don't you want to let go of this quest that's haunted your every step for almost seven _years_? Don't you want to have a _life_ Aster? Friends, dreams, a pretty girl on your arm? Oh wait." Something cold dropped into Aster's stomach at the look on his foster father's face. " You've already gotten a head start on that last one, haven't you?"

Every muscle in Aster's body tensed.

" Now, what was that girl's name again?"

" You. Leave her. _Out_. _Of this_."

The D laughed.

" Leave her out of it? Aster don't you realize?" The D slid a duel disk onto his arm. " She's already a part of it. She's been a part of it for longer than you know."

" What?" Aster started forward, confused. The man in front of him put up a hand for silence.

" But that's not what we're here to discuss. What we _should_ be talking about..." He pulled up a card out of his deck, the back facing Aster. The air in the room was suddenly too thick.

"...is this."

He flipped the card.

Aster had never seen it before in his life. It had been in its final stages the last time it had been in his life, and his father had been adamant that Aster not see it until it was done. Aiden Phoenix had drawn and created cards in order to make his son smile, and the card was to be his greatest masterpiece, the best gift his son could ever ask for. Aster had never seen it completed, but he knew it nonetheless. He knew it so well that he could barely see it for the tears in his eyes. He knew it so well that his legs threatened to fall out from under him, and he would sink into the bottomless abyss that was left after his world had been shattered so many times in the span on an hour.

It was the Destiny Hero card that had lead to his father's death.

It was the card that only the murderer would possess.

* * *

Sometimes I disturb even myself. Jesus, what am I writing here?

MoS


	51. Shaking Worlds

Warnings: I am about to delve into Jaden's past. And there is a long, snivelling apology at the end of this thing, so consider youseflves warned.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_, or anything, really.

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

" I have just about had enough of this shit."

Linda jumped back, surprised by the vulgarity. Jaden blinked, and then looked away sheepishly.

" Sorry, Miss Ackhart."

" Please, call me Linda." She said, flushing slightly. " There's no need to apologize. The situation...sometimes, an exclamation or two is necessary."

" Yeah, speaking of the situation..." Syrus piped up dryly. For all the fuss Miss Fontaine and her three assistants had made over him, the small boy had gotten out of the hospital with a few minor burns and an order to stay away from the duel shockers Zane had employed for the rest of his natural life. Syrus hadn't even had to blink before agreeing.

" Yes?" It was a testament to how much Syrus had grown, Jaden decided. The boy didn't even blush at the attention from the pretty woman.

" How exactly was your country permitted to create a satellite that can _brainwash_ people?"

" Yeah, I was wonderin' 'bout that too." Hassleberry said, raising an eyebrow.

Linda looked down at her folded hands.

" I'm aware of how it looks, but I assure you, the government and the royal family had the best of intentions when the satellite was in its planning stages."

" Wouldn't this kahnd of thing...Ah dunno, vaholate some kahnda code or sumthin'?" Jesse asked from his seat next to Jaden. Without drawing attention to himself, Jaden shot a glance at the two duel spirits in the room. Ruby Carbuncle and Winged Kuriboh were, for once, not fighting. The fact that they had forgone their usual rough-housing ritual to listening to what the humans were saying did not sit well with the Slifer.

" Oh, of that I have no doubt. We have obviously gone against some kind of code here when we created this thing, but we were so focused on the future and good it could do that we overlooked things like that." Linda bit her lip. " That's not something I'm especially proud of."

" Article Three." Jaden said, reaching for another glass of orange juice. He didn't notice all eyes turning to him in surprise. " 'Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.' Article Four: 'No one shall be held in slavery or servitude ; slavery and slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.' Article Five: 'No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.' Article Twelve: 'No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interferences or attacks.' Article Eighteen: 'Everyone has the right freedom of thought, conscience and religion.' Article Nineteen: 'Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this includes the rights to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.' Article-"

" Jaden?" Syrus asked, looking shocked. Jaden didn't look up from the glass he was gripping so hard his knuckles had turned white.

" Article Twenty-Eight." He continued, undaunted. " 'Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.'" Abruptly, his head snapped up. " Article Twenty-Nine: 'Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.'" Apparently done, Jaden got to his feet. He marched to where Linda sat, her face pale and her jaw slack. He leaned down to look directly into her eyes.

" 'Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world, whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in cooperation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms, whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge, now, therefore, the General Assembly proclaims The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.'"

By this point, every jaw but Jaden's had hit the floor. Jaden himself was glaring daggers.

" Misgarth joined in 2017. I was ten-years-old. The construction of this satellite violates _at least_ eight articles of the UDHR, and I didn't even _mention_ the very first article: ' All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.'" Jaden's glare went poisonous. " If there is one thing I cannot _stand_, it is people who think that they can 'fix' the world by taking away people's freedoms."

And just as suddenly as he'd stormed over to her, Jaden turned away from Linda, his face still dark with rage. He went over to the desk that sat on the wall opposite to the bunk beds, and started rustling around in it. He could hear Syrus panting, probably very put off by the heavy atmosphere Jaden had created. Jesse and Hassleberry seemed to have been struck dumb by his outburst. At any other time, Jaden was sure he would've been embarrassed, but at the moment, he was far too angry to care.

" Listen up." He snapped. Linda jumped to attention. " Here's what's going to happen. I am going to stop Sartorius and the Prince. I am going to kick the Light of Destruction right out of them both. I am going to make sure that they never even _see_ these keys. And then, you are going to go to your government, convince them to disable that satellite and bring it down to be used for scrap metal." His fingers closed over the object he'd been rooting around in the desk for.

" Or so help me," he held up the cellphone, " I will get my mother on the phone so fast you will get whiplash, got it?"

Silence reigned. And then, Hassleberry gave a snort.

" No offence, Jay, but that ain't very threatenin'. What 'xactly do ya think your mom's gunna do?"

From the look of surprise on Jesse's and Syrus' faces, as well as the blank look Linda was giving him, Jaden could only assume they were thinking the same thing.

" Umm..." Linda opened her mouth to speak, but Jaden cut her off.

" My mother is Lieutenant-Colonel Sachiko Yuki." A triumphant light gleamed in his eyes. " United Nations Peacekeeping Force."

" _Sachiko Yuki_?" Hassleberry exploded, his eyes huge. " Sachiko 'The Tank' Yuki? One of the most decorated officers in the Pacific Coast stabilization mission?"

" That's 'Kaa-san." Jaden offered with a shrug. The he paused. " Wait, how do you know my mother?"

Hassleberry had slumped down against the table. He looked completely shell-shocked.

" Mah sisters mentioned that on their first mission, they absolutely loved the superior officer who was in charge."

" Your sisters?"

" Tricera and Brachia."

Jaden felt his own eyes widen.

" Sara-san and Kia-san." He muttered. " I _knew_ your last name sounded familiar. Those two went with 'Kaa-san on that recon mission two years ago. I was surprised they let anyone so young out on the field so soon."

" Cera and Chia graduated with top marks." Hassleberry explained, still looking very shocked. He spoke as thought he didn't quite know what he was doing, as if the act of talking was nothing more than instinct. " The military academy said they coulda had their pick of where ta go. They chose the Blue Berets."

" Your mother is a Peacekeeper?" Syrus said slowly, clearly trying to digest the information.

" Yes."

" What about your dad?"

" Otou-san's a diplomat. He's the reason 'Kaa-san joined the UN. I mean, her military career in the Marines was going just fine. But then she met Otou-san, and when she found out he was going into the UN to act as a diplomat, she decided to follow him and make sure he was safe." Jaden gave Syrus a look. " I mean, you came to my house for Christmas. You musta noticed how we spent most of the time with my aunt and her family."

" I thought your parents were just really busy." Syrus said, pouting.

" They had a last minute assignment given to them. They barely made it home for New Years."

" Jaden..." Jesse said softly. The Slifer avoided his friend's eyes, afraid of what he might see looking back at him.

" Look, we're getting off track. The point is that this," he gestured to the cellphone, not taking his eyes off of Linda, " is an emergency phone my mother gave to me. I can have her at my location within 48-hours with just one phone call, and if I tell her what you've told me, it'll be 24-hours, and with a group of Peacekeeping soldiers in tow. I can guarantee that another group will be dispatched and headed for the Misgarth Kingdom following that. This is the point I'm trying to make: Either you bring that satellite down, or I will."

Jaden tucked the cellphone into his pocket, making sure that the distraught Linda could see it.

" And if I bring it down, then the military will be involved."

" Sarge, ain't that a little harsh?" Hassleberry asked as Jaden stormed towards the door.

Jaden paused, and leaned his head against the doorframe, breathing deeply.

" Otou-san has a scar on his left arm. It's from a bullet he got when he was trying to talk down a hostile military officer who'd decided to cut her losses and start taking hostages. She'd already shot three children in front of him to prove that she was serious. She shot at him to make him be quiet. It grazed him, but he didn't stop talking. While he talked, the two other children in the building managed to sneak out. When she realized what he'd done, the woman pointed her gun at my father's head. That was when my mother and her soldiers came in. The shot missed. It hit his arm instead." Jaden reached up and touched his own left arm. " Otou-san told me that he'd never been so terrified in his entire life, but he knew he had to keep talking until the children could get out. He told me that no matter what, you have to do what's right in life, even if you're scared out of your mind. My father took a bullet, doing what was right. My mother has scars all over her body and medals in her room, proving that she's always done what's right. I'm their son. I'm the son of a man and woman who have literally gone to Hell and back, simply to do what is right."

Jaden turned to look at the gathered company. His bangs fell over his eyes, shadowing them. A strange power hummed in the air. The room suddenly seemed a lot smaller than it had a moment before, as if all the empty spaces and dark corners had been filled in the blink of an eye. Everything felt squished, pressed too tightly together. It made the air harder to breathe; it made thoughts harder to get a hold of; it even made watching Jaden harder, because, somehow, Jaden seemed different too, as if all the blank spaces inside of _him_ were getting filled up too, far too fast. He was blurry around the edges, some kind of aura radiating off of him like a cloak. He seemed at once to be darker and brighter than anything in the room.

" My parents might not have been around much to raise me, but they did teach me this much." Jaden turned his eyes on Linda, who took a shuddering breath and then held it.

" Freedom is not a privilege. It is not a gift. Freedom is a right, and anyone who tries to take that away must be stopped."

And without a glance backwards, Jaden opened the door and walked out, leaving behind a stunned group, frozen in the wake of those powerful, golden eyes.

* * *

" They have a brainwash satellite."

" Uh-huh."

" A _brainwash_ satellite."

" Yes indeed."

" A satellite that brainwashes people. They have one. It exists."

" Lia, Ma'am, I don't know how ta make it aneh clearer."

"..."

" ..."

" ...Are you for friggin' real?"

Syrus sighed.

" Afraid so."

Lia said nothing. Instead, she dropped her head onto the back of the chair in front of her. And then repeated the action. And then repeated it again.

" You're gonna get a massive headache." Jasmine warned as she sat down beside the brunette. Lia gave muffled sound of pain. " What was that?"

" Brainwash. Satellite."

Mindy hopped over the above row of chairs to land next to the Ra girl.

" I know sweetie, I know."

Lia gave another muffled whimper.

Behind her, Atticus looked out on the scene with the air of a hawk, his eyes narrowed and sharp as he took in Jaden and the Prince on opposite ends of the field.

" What's going on?" He asked at length. Hassleberry opened his mouth, thought for a moment, and then closed it again. Beside him, on the very edge of her isle seat, Linda was pressing her fingers to her mouth, trying to stifle her gasp of fear as Prince Ojin's eyes glowed dangerously in the low lighting of the duel arena. Linda's own eyes were rimmed with red.

" Brainwashing satellite. Good Sartorius gave Jaden and Aster keys. Jaden's gonna free the Prince whose country created it." Syrus paused, running over the facts in his head to see if he'd forgotten anything. " ...Jaden's royally pissed and I don't think this is gonna be a nice, friendly match."

Alexis, who had just taken the seat beside Jasmine, gestured with her head towards Linda.

" Oh." Syrus blinked, looking at Linda like he'd forgotten that she was there. " This is Linda Ackhart. Linda, these are our friends."

" Pleased to meet you." The redhead said softly.

" Alexis Rhodes." The blonde put her hand out to be shaken. " The sour looking guy behind me is my brother Atticus. These girls are my friends, Jasmine, Mindy, and Lia."

" Jasmine Makita, nice to meet you."

" Minna Bedau. Please call me Mindy. Everyone does."

" Enchante, je m'appelle Ottilia Shanner. M'appelez Lia, si vous plait." Lia murmured, clearly distracted by the goings-on down on the duel arena.

" How sweet. You travel around with your own cheerleading section?" The Prince taunted, smirking at Jaden.

" Do ya see pom-poms anywhere?" Hassleberry snarled, shaking his fist at the royal. Beside him, both Syrus and Jesse face-palmed.

" That's exactly what he wants, Hassleberry." Syrus muttered.

" It seems I've touched a bit of a nerve." Jaden's opponent gestured carelessly towards the angry Ra boy. " Wouldn't you agree?"

" Two things." Jaden snapped, his face as dark as Atticus' had been only an hour ago. " One, shut the hell up. Two, start dueling before I decide to start using my fists to settle this."

Ojin, for a moment, finally dropped the smug smirk in favour of looking taken aback.

" You wouldn't dare."

Jaden merely glared.

" Listen, Your Highness. I have not had a good week. I've got a bunch of people on my ass to save the world – _again_, might I add- slowly but surely the whole school is getting sucked into a cult that worships what I'm starting to believe is an apocalyptic _god_, and I have end of the year exams coming up. I need some kind of stress relief and you're starting to look more and more like a punching bag as time goes by. So either throw down a card and start this thing, or pray to whatever deity you worship in Misgarth that you have the name of a good plastic surgeon, because I am two seconds away from fucking you up _good_!"

Ojin blinked.

" But-"

" _I said throw a card down! __**Now!**_"

Without further instruction, Ojin scrambled to put his deck into his duel disk. Up in the stands, Alexis winced.

" Jesus, I've never seen Jaden this pissed off before." Down below Sparkman shimmered into existence.

" He's been on edge fo' awhahle now." Jesse said softly. Absentmindedly, he let his thumb stroke over the spot just behind Ruby's right ears as she sat up on his lap. To most of the people around him, it looked like he was running his thumb through thin air. He blinked in surprise as Alexis reached down and gave Ruby a pat on her head.

" What a pretty spirit." The blonde had moved and was now sitting behind Jesse. The boy from North raised a brow. Alexis flushed slightly. " I couldn't see too well."

" Ah." There was a shimmering behind her, and a thin girl in a red and green body suit with pink hair settled down beside the blonde. She cooed happily at the sight of Ruby and beckoned to the cat-like creature with her fingers. Soft whirring noises came from her and Ruby jumped into her arms. Jesse watched his spirit go.

" She's calling her a cute little kitty." Alexis grinned. " Tutu, leave the poor thing alone. If she wants to watch the duel, let her."

More whirring noises. Jesse frowned.

" Ya...can understand what she's sayin'?"

" I'm the only one."

Both flinched back as a bright column of light exploded out from Ojin's side of the field.

" Oi, translators. Somebody tell me what the hell just happened."

Jasmine threw an arm around Lia's shoulders. The younger brunette wasn't so much scowling as she was pouting, but no one in the group would dare point that out.

" Ojin used his Trap Booster card, and discarded one card. That allowed him to activate any trap card in his hand. He chose Call of the Haunted, which let him call a card back from the Graveyard. He called back his Satellite Cannon."

Lia gave her a pained look.

" You wanna know what I just heard come outta your mouth? ' Overly-complicated-long-winded-contrived-plan-banking-on-too-convinient-cards-with-too-convinient-powers-why-don't-we-just-rush-him-and-kick-his-ass-the-old-fashion-way?'"

" Yes." Mindy agreed with a smile. " That is essentially what she just said."

" It's my Satellite Cannon." The Prince declared proudly. Jaden raised a brow.

" You say that like I give a crap."

" You're rather rude."

" Says the guy planning on brainwashing most of the world for an evil entity that has taken up host in the body of a psychic." Jaden blinked. " Oh god, I just realized what I just said."

" All in favour of committing ourselves to a mental hospital say aye." Syrus said, not taking his eyes off the duel.

" Aye." The three girls behind him chorused in agreement.

" And who would save the world, huh?" Alexis asked, pinching the bridge of her nose. Jesse nodded.

" She's got a point."

" Hey, crazy idea here. How about the teachers and other adults actually _do_ something for a change." Lia grumbled. She was looking very put out at the moment. She seemed somehow paler than usual, though not in the same way as the members of the Society. She seemed almost sickly. There was even a light sheen of sweat gathering on her brow. Her hands were twisted up in the white hoodie she was wearing, bunching the material at her chest.

" Hey." Jesse whispered, leaning over towards her. The girl gave him a surprised look. He hadn't interacted with her much, mostly leaving her to her own devices. " Ya okay?"

Lia opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off as the stadium shook. Blue light blinded the group in the stands for a moment. Down below, Jaden watched Sparkman vanish with a set of dangerously narrowed eyes.

" Shit, these holograms are sumthin' else. You folks here at DA sure know how ta put on a show." Jesse said appraisingly. Lia didn't respond. " Lia?"

" Honey?" Jasmine said, alarmed.

Lia was hunched over, her fingers so twisted in the material that the hoodie was starting to ride up over her ribs. Sweat dripped from her haggard face and her eyes were squeezed shut.

" Lia, let me see." The redhead demanded. The younger girl shook her head. Jesse was horrified to see two tears slide down her face. " Lia, _let me see._"

" Lia." Alexis whispered. The girl looked up, her face scrunched up in pain, and her hazel eyes pleading. Her fingers went slack, and then fell nervelessly from her shirt as though she was a puppet and someone had cut the strings hold her up. Her entire being seemed to collapse, slumping forward into Jasmine's waiting arms. The hoodie shifted and Jesse had to swallow hard.

A dark smear of blood lay on her collarbone, vibrantly red against Lia's pale skin.

A third explosion rocked the stadium, blue light exploding outwards like a bomb.

" It's over!" Ojin declared, the very picture of smug victory. A picture that, seconds later, shattered as Jaden took a step out of the billowing smoke, the hazy image of a card hovering just to his right.

" Hardly." He whispered, and Lia cried out in the stands as, for a split second, the air around the duelists shimmered silver.

* * *

So...

I'm sure you all have questions. And I have an answer. I don't know if you'll like it, but it's the truth.

And that answer is Life happened.

There was an apartment, and it needed cleaning. Then there was furniture to move up systematically. Then there were supplies to buy, packing to do, schedules to juggle. And then school actually STARTED, and there were half courses and papers and exams and I just never seemed to have any time, or if I did, I couldn't work on this because I would get hooked and I had to use the next day to work on class work. I just...I never seemed to have the time to work on this.

And as thoroughly ashamed of myself as I am about taking this long to update, I knew I couldn't give you guys any less than my absolute best after the shit I've pulled. I've been gone for going on a year. And now, I'm gonna try to make it up to you.

This is the first of 13 chapters left in Yea Two. Approximately every hour on the hour, I will update. Come the end of these chapters, I will then post 11 extras, ranging from 10 Truths to Alphabet drabbles to just plain whimsy thigs. The catch is that the 11th has to be inspired by you. I have an idea, but if you guys could give me prompts, then I'll write them.

Again, I'm sorry for taking so long with this. I'm sorry things got so hectic. I'm sorry to have failed you as an author. I humbly beg for your forgiveness, and that you don't abandon this series because I promise, things are just getting good, and Year Three Parts 1 and 2 will have a grand pay off.

I'd also like to announce that I will be doing Yugioh D's, though probably not to the extent of GX. It will be more of a buffer fic to get me into the sequel I have been planning for going on a year now. Yeah, that's another reason I got distracted. There's more of this to come.

Ackhart is a Saxon name meaning firm-hearted and unyielding. It seemed to fit Linda.

I got the UDHR lines from the interwebs.

'Sachi' means bliss, and 'Sachiko' means 'child of happiness'.

I have a paper with the names of Hassleberry's sisters on it somewhere, but I'll try from memory:

Tricerea (Cera, pronounced 'Sara')

Brachia (Chia, pronounced 'Kia')

Lohrin (pronounced Lauren)

Alberta (Allie)

Well, I think that's all. I'll see you in an hour for the next one.

I'm sorry again, and Lia will be back here soon. I'l really too ashamed of myself to even bring her here.

Love,

MoS


	52. Answering Calls

Warnings: Angry!Jaden and memories that don't really make sense.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

Jaden was in a foul mood.

Every inch of him ached. His hands were sore from dueling, his eyes hung heavy with lack of sleep, and his head was pounding, throbbing with a headache that had begun several weeks ago and had been ebbing and rising like a steady tide. At times it was little more than a buzz at the back of his head. At other times, it was so fierce that it almost blinded him. It ate at him like acid eating away at metal, breaking it down bit by bit until it was weak and useless. It tick-tocked at his skull, beating out the rhythm of a clock, slowly running out of time. It tore into him like the claws of a vicious, cornered animal (or Beasts, but Jaden didn't want to think about those. He never wanted to think about those again. Syrus could have his nightmares and fight them, and Zane could suffer his inferiority complexes and succumb, but what had happened to Jaden Yuki down there was more than a nightmare made flesh. He'd won. He'd beaten the Beasts back, and what shook him to the core was the undeniable fact that he _shouldn't _have. He should've died down in the crypt, from wounds and blood loss and that awful, creeping mist, with its suffocating hands. He should not be standing in the duel arena, fighting with Prince Ojin. He should not be trying to challenge the Light. He should not be aiming at saving the world. He shouldn't even be breathing. But he was, and that terrified him.) Jaden would've liked to call it stress and be done with it.

Jaden would've _really_ liked to call it stress.

Unfortunately, he knew better. He didn't quite know _how_ he knew better, but he did. With the same, unyielding sense that told him that there was something slumbering deep inside of him (was slumbering still the right word to use? It certainly didn't seem to be sleeping. Whatever it was, whatever name the power had, it was most assuredly not asleep anymore. What else could've pulled Chazz from the prison the Light had put him in? What else could've known that Alexis was going to fight against the hold It had on her? What else could be thrumming in his veins right now, hot and tempered and slowly but surely pushing him into place? Whatever it was, it had his body alive and tense, ready for a fight. He could feel every one of his cards, hear their voices on the edges of his mind, each calling out to him and trying to make it better. At once, it both calmed and amplified his headache, and Jaden wondered if he should be grateful, or furious), Jaden knew that his thundering head was not the result of something as mundane as stress.

Even so, Prince Ojin Rayner de Misgarth was undoubtedly a stressful man to deal with.

" Those things are your _cards_, not your friends." The man was saying, and his very tone made Jaden want to hit something. Preferably his opponent.

' _Let me out for thirty seconds! I'll show __**him**__ a card!'_ Burstinatrix hissed. Avion put a calming hand on her shoulder.

' _Easy there, Burst. You'll pop an energy vessel at the rate this is going.'_

' _Yeah, chill out, Fire Lady.'_ Dark Panther said in his mellow voice. He was stretched out by Jaden's feet, observing the duel with the air of someone who could easily fall asleep. In a rare (these days) display of humour, Jaden wondered if he should introduce his Panther to Belowski.

' _Don't you take that tone with me, you no good layabout!'_ Burstinatrix snapped, looking harried. Panther simply yawned. At his side, Aquos popped in and kneeled down, giving the large cat an affectionate pat before turning to face the still raging fire elemental.

' _Burstinatrix, I guarantee that this isn't the best way to solve anything. I suggest-'_

' _How about I shove my foot up your ass? How's __**that**__ for a solution?'_

Aquos sighed.

' _Oh dear, she's at it again.'_

' _Fuck yeah she is!'_ Flare Scarab appeared beside Burstinatrix, grinning. _' Now that's what I'm talking about! Jay, let us see a little action, would ya? I haven't been this pumped for a fight since The Fall!'_

' _I should think,'_ Neos said as he materialized at Jaden's side, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder, _' that you would treat that dark and terrible time with a little more respect and reverence. We lost our home and our King in that war.'_

' _Not completely.'_ Avion whispered, shooting a look at Jaden.

The boy in question would've been far more intrigued in what was being said if he had been able to focus on anything but the stabbing pain currently shooting from his head down through his body. His eyes were watering and he had to bring his card hand up to his face, trying to shield it from the unseen force that was pressing in on his body. His stomach rolled over itself, and it was all he could do to stay on his feet. Neos' hand on his tightened, and something warm flooded through his system.

" My cards..." he hissed, " ...are...my friends."

" That must be a pretty lonely existence." Ojin said, rolling his eyes. A cold smirk came over Jaden's face.

" You have no idea." He brought his card hand a little ways away from his face, still blocking the light from the fixture right above his head from hitting him. The blinding headache dulled for a moment, the warmth rippling through his body slowly steadying him. After a moment's repose, Jaden carefully lowered the cards, taking care not to look directly into the lights above him. His body no longer feeling like it was swaying from side to side, Jaden gave a soft smile to the unseen spirits around him. In response, Neos gave his shoulder another squeeze, and then vanished from sight.

Across from him, the Prince was frowning, glaring at Jaden with a look of puzzled anger.

" Don't think that you can get to me." He snapped at last, forcing Jaden to look away from his precious spirits. The royal had his fists clenched around his cards, his skin pale as bones under the harsh arena lighting. Unflinchingly, Jaden met those burning eyes, blazing with the same conviction he'd been seeing in the eyes of every member of the Society since the beginning of the year.

Jaden felt his stomach twist with nausea. That look was really starting to become sickening.

" Your cheap tricks won't do a thing!"

At any other time, Jaden might've blinked at the accusation. It seemed to come completely from left-field and had nothing to do with what was going on. Something like a lifetime ago, Jaden Yuki might've blinked cutely, tilted his head, and innocently asked what Ojin was talking about.

But a lifetime ago, Jaden had never looked into the eyes of a member of the Society. A lifetime ago, Jaden hadn't had to watch his dearest friends scream as they tried to shove an invading force out of their bodies. A lifetime ago, Jaden hadn't looked into the eyes of the Light of Destruction, and bested It in the only arena that mattered.

So Jaden didn't blink at Ojin's strange proclamation. He merely raised a brow, every movement his body made feeling detached from his senses somehow.

" The hell are you going on about now?" He asked tiredly. The Prince only glared harder, if that was possible.

" That trick you're using, that 'oh, I'm so lonely and alone, feel bad for me' line you're trying to sell. It won't work!" Ojin smirked and flicked a strand of hair out of his eyes. " If anything, it makes me feel even better about beating you. After all, if I can't even beat some no-talent, whining, _lonely loser_, how can I call myself a worthy of the Light?"

For his own part, Jaden didn't feel any of the anger that exploded out of the stands behind him. Syrus was snarling like a lion woken from a noon-day nap and he could feel the intense heat of Atticus' glare. Hassleberry sounded as though he was being forcibly held back by a struggling Mindy, Jasmine and Jesse, each of whom was spitting curses, Jesse in several Scandinavian languages if Jaden's ears were working correctly. And of course, while he couldn't see her face, Jaden knew the look that Alexis was sporting; that supremely disdainful, flashing-eyed look of a queen glaring down at a worm. Lia's voice alone was missing from the cacophonous fray that trumpeted behind him, but Jaden didn't notice. His mind, once again abuzz with the thrum of a headache, had latched onto one comment.

' I'm not lonely.'

It was strange that _that_ was what his mind had chosen to focus on, but he couldn't seem to force it to go elsewhere. He could only puzzle over the use of the word 'lonely' as the world around him erupted into chaos.

' I'm not lonely. I'm _not_.'

Alexis had started talking. Jaden couldn't quite hear the words, but he knew her voice, knew it better than he'd ever admit to, and he knew what she sounded like when she was mad. And boy, did she sound mad. A little under her furious tirade – what was she saying? He couldn't make his ears focus on anything but the sound of her voice. The words wouldn't register. He thought maybe he should be scared, but he was too numb- Jaden could hear Atticus pipe up, and then the Rhodes siblings launched the brunt of the anger full force. Ojin was replying – Jaden could see his lips moving- but the buzz of the headache had risen to a dull roar, drowning out everything, even the increasingly insistent calls of his monsters.

' ...Am I?'

_Lonely_. The word shouldn't fit. He wasn't lonely. He had more friends than he knew what to do with. He had Syrus and Lexi and Lia and Atticus and Hassleberry. He had Jesse, and Chazz, and Brier and dozens of others. He had letters that he wrote to Chumley as part of their pen-pal idea. He had an entire hard-drive full of e-mails from Akimi-chan and Natsuki-chan and even that little bokukko Fuyubi, telling him to eat right and not be lazy. He had his cards from Shin-kun and Netsuke-sempai letting him know how Fuyubi was doing – because she didn't tell him if she'd failed; she had too much pride to admit that, the little brat- and Hark-chan trying to act cool whenever they met and like she hadn't missed him at all, and poor, lovesick Haruka-chan, whose affections he neither returned nor felt worthy of and his hundreds of babysitters, each remembering him fondly and still sending his Christmas cards and New Year's greetings and Osam-

Jaden's mind screeched to a halt.

The previously fuzzy world had slid into sharp focus. Everywhere he looked, there were hard angles and deadly points threatening to spear him through the chest. His headache had shifted to match his new view-point, his head throbbing and jolting like a thousand little swords were raining down on his skull. His vision swam and, for one, terrible moment, he was thrust back to that place of darkness, where his cards lay blank and empty in front of him and a vicious, cruel voice cajoled him to see the Light.

Jaden brought his hands up to his eyes, partly to block out any light, but mostly to stop the stream of tears that threatened to overflow. In the back of his head, the roaring picked up, and Jaden bit back a cry of pain. Even with his eyes covered, he could still feel the sharp edges of the world digging into his body. In fact, the pain had intensified, the stabbing swords now javelins hurling into his skin and being twisted once they found their mark. He gritted his teeth against the sounds that threatened to come bubbling up out of his throat. All around him, chaos reigned, the shouts of his friends and the beseeching cries of his monsters mixed together with the gloating voice of Prince Ojin, battering at his sense even as he tried to make sense of it all.

And, even more painful, underneath it all was the slow, angry hissing that Jaden knew, beyond any doubt, was the Light of Destruction challenging him to combat.

Jaden pressed the balls of his hands deeper against his eyelid as colour and images exploded into focus.

_There, there is a sturdy table, like the one in his dining room._

_And the lamp on the end table by the couch. Green and hideous and a wedding present from an old friend of his mother's. He can't remember the name she'd told him. He can barely remember anything at all._

_The couch where he used to play videogames with some of his babysitters. Their faces blur together in his mind, formless, shapeless, and, worst of all, completely devoid of any recognizable features. He can no more tell one face from another than he can jump off the roof of the Obelisk Blue Dorm and start flying._

_Back on the table-there are cards now, colourful, bright, beaming cards. He can't see their faces, but there are voices, so many sweet, happy voices, and he can hear them. At long last, he can hear them!_

_Now, a hand reaching across the table. It flips a card, and something swoops into his stomach. A card, but he can't make out the picture. A new voice, just one more in the friendly fray, pipes up, but he can't make out the words. There is a deeper voice now, talking, explaining, and the flash of light reflected off a pair of glasses._

_O..._

_Osa..._

_His mind stretches, and he grasps at the fleeting, flying shards of memories as they float around him. Only there's nothing floating around him, is there? Of course there's nothing, because he's in his house, alone with his cards and his television and something else, someone else...no, some__**thing**__ else, and he's dueling..._

_He's dueling..._

_Osa..._

_Oh, why won't the name come to him? He knows it, and he knows he knows it more than he's ever known anything before- but isn't that a lie?- and it's frustrating and it hurts and he wants to remember that name!_

_A tear slides down his face and the older boy's voice grows concerned but that doesn't matter, because a new voice has come, a new voice, softer than clouds and sweeter than sugar and more dangerous than a cornered tiger, whispers into his ear._

' _No, don't be sad. I won't let you be sad. I will never let anyone make you sad again, alright my Darling?'_

_Darling, Darling. No one has ever called him 'Darling' before. No one..._

_Except..._

_The other boy is moving now, carefully coming around the table. The cards are in disarray. Scattered, like leaves to the wind. Like pieces of a puzzle thrown over the board. Like a shattered mirror, the shards left to lay where they fell._

_Falling..._

_The other boy is falling now. He's falling so fast, like a baby bird who can't figure out how to fly. He's falling, and Jaden wants to go to him, but he can't, because Jaden's falling too, and the cards are falling with him, but they're not cards, they're bits of glass and in them, Jaden can see images, and pictures, and one shines brighter than the rest, bright and beautiful and silver and purple and black and warm, dual-coloured eyes that look at him like he's the only thing that has ever existed and Jaden reaches out to touch but as his hands close over it, a sharp pain explodes in his palm and then..._

_And then..._

_**And then...**_

_Wordlessly, he looked down at his palm._

_And cried out._

_Because there, plain as day and red as rose petals, was a smear of blood._

_Jaden choked, and tried to scream, but the wind hit him with a gust that felt like a physical blow, and then he was being hurled back, his fingers unclenching on the rock, and rocketing forward into the not-whiteness that was before him. As he crashed into it head first, he gave a cry, more blood splattering out from his mouth. The current of energy ripped through his skull and sent shockwaves down his body, and it was only distantly, in between the jolts of pain, that he recognized the pleasant warmth the electrical charges left in their wake..._

_And then Jaden, from the depths of his very being, called up a strength he didn't remember having from a part of him that he didn't know, and __**pushed**__ at the not-white, burning, painful vastness in front of him. His skin scorched, his body stung, his vision swam in and out of blackness, but he pushed, harder and harder until the blaze of pain was dulled to nothing, and all that remained was the warmth of that slumbering thing deep inside of him. That thing, that glorious, powerful thing that had pulled him from the jaws of death, that terrible, angry thing that had yanked Chazz back from the edge of the abyss, that great, god-like thing that forced Jaden's eyes open and his body forward even as his mind screamed for rest..._

That thing exploded outwards, as Jaden wordlessly summoned Flame Wingman onto the field with barely a thought, and finally, piercing through the numbness and sharp spires that the world had turned into, he at long last heard a noise.

A soft, keening cry, filled with pain and a sorrow Jaden both didn't understand and recognized sounded across the duel arena. Jaden heard it over the rush of blood in his ears as the world swam with silver for a split second. He heard it over the roar of Wingman's fire blast to the Satellite Cannon. He heard it, even, over the grating noise of Prince Ojin's gloats as the Cannon remained intact. Across blood and battle, Jaden heard that one cry even as his shattered memories flew from the catacombs of his memory and began to reshape his childhood before his very eyes.

Jaden heard the cry even as he raised his head to meet the deranged gaze of the Prince, his eyes blazing to an unmistakable gold.

* * *

When Mindy had heard the first whimper, she'd worried, but no overly so. Everyone in their group was st least peripherally aware of Lia when Jaden dueled. There was something he did to her, not out of malice or, really, any fault of his own, that caused her a decent amount of pain every time she sat down with them to watch. There was an unspoken agreement between them that someone had to be sitting next to her, and that someone would have to be ready to haul her away if things got too bad. Usually, there was a bout of pain and a little bleeding, but Lia was a tough girl and she hated the fuss the others made over her. Mindy, in the middle of her own self-discovery, had decided that until something went horrifically wrong, she wouldn't do anything more than offer Lia a hand to squeeze.

Squeeze it the girl had; until Mindy was sure she'd have bruises in the morning.

But the whimpers, while worrying, weren't all that frightening.

It was when Lia started crying that Mindy knew something bad was happening.

Lia didn't cry, not really. Mindy indulged in it frequently, Jasmine was known to lock herself in her room for hours on end to get her feelings out, and even Alexis tended to get teary-eyed as her anger built towards a towering rage. But Lia didn't. None of them had really seen Lia cry since that incident with Chazz in first year. She was an intense, emotional person, much as she liked to pretend that she wasn't, but there was no denying that when it came to tears, Lia bottled them up inside of her until there was no one around to see.

So the sight of them sliding down Lia's cheeks as she leaned forward, unnaturally entranced by the duel, made Mindy's heart stutter to a stop.

" Lia?" She whispered. A quiet yelping sound, like a dog whose tail had been stepped on, answered her. " Lia, sweetie?"

With another soft whine, Lia leaned forward again, her eyes transfixed on the smoke covered duel arena below. Her hazel gaze was oddly glazed over, a fever-like flush spreading across her cheeks. She looked pale, not, thankfully, in the same way the Society members did, but sickly. The thin sheen of sweat on her brow didn't help.

" Lia, honey, lemme help." Mindy reached forward as more tears started to stream. It disturbed the older girl to see Lia so vulnerable and weak. Lia Shanner was many things to many people but no one, not even Chazz in one of his foulest moods, would ever accuse Lia of being weak.

She pulled gently.

" C'mon, let's go. We'll go somewhere." She cajoled. Lia shook her head.

" Il blesse. Je ne l'aime pas, mais je ne peux pas partir."

Mindy shook her head, only half understanding what the younger girl was saying.

" Sweetheart, we have to go. You're getting paler by the second and I don't think you'll be able to stay up right much longer." There was a weird feeling in the air, a kind of quiet humming power that was slowly gathering. It reminded Mindy of the few moments before a thunderstorm hit, when the air was heavy with unspent lightning. She pulled again, this time more insistently.

" J'ai besoin de rester ici." Lia whispered, her eyes never leaving the stage below. The smoke had cleared somewhat, and Jaden was standing with his hands pressed against his eyes, his face scrunched up in pain. With a sinking heart, Mindy realized that the poor boy looked about as well as Lia. He was pale under his ever present tan, and his whole body was held rigid in that stark, blinding light.

Mindy shivered, and averted her eyes.

" Lia, I'm not kidding." She pulled harder. " C'mon, we're leaving, right no-"

The room exploded.

Not truly, not in terms of light and sound and heat, but there was no other word to accurately describe what happened in that split second. There was silence, an unnatural, unbreakable silence, followed by the breaking of the storm. A rush of power, the same power that had hummed around them and saturated the air only moments before, broke over the group like a wave crashing on the shores of their island. Mindy felt herself being pushed back into her chair, the cracks and crevices of her own self-image suddenly filled to the bursting. Understanding ripped through her confusion, and, for little more than one, shining second, Mindy knew what it was that filled the air around her and filled her so completely. She knew the name of the power, and what it meant. For that one, blazing second, Mindy saw silver, and felt her soul kneel in piety.

_Sacred Mother who bore us and loves us..._

Lia gave a pained, echoing cry and collapsed against the older girl, shattering the spell. Mindy's arms came up to catch the brunette as she went down. Something wet pressed against her wrist and she tried to get Lia upright again, and Mindy tried very hard not to think about the arm she had resting against Lia's collar.

Down in the arena below, the two duelists were recovering from the blast of energy. Prince Ojin struggled to get back on his feet and Jaden calmly walked forward, towards his opponent's side of the field.

" I-I play..." Ojin stuttered, his calm severely shaken as Jaden kept walking, his eyes hidden beneath his bangs. " I-I play the Spell...the Spell card...I play-"

" You want to surrender." Jaden whispered, but it carried. Oh, did it carry. " Right now."

Mindy shivered, pulling the seemingly catatonic Lia closer to her in order to shield the younger girl. That was not Jaden's voice. It couldn't be Jaden's voice. It was too old, too strong, too inhuman. Moreover, there was something in that voice, something Mindy couldn't name – not since the light of her epiphany had faded- , something that commanded respect and attention.

It wasn't the voice of teenage boy. It was the voice of someone who led armies into battle. It was the voice of someone whose lightest decision shaped the world. It was the voice of someone who knew where he stood against the Light of Destruction, and knew no fear because of that knowledge.

It was a voice too great to belong to the plane of existence Mindy was on.

The purple-haired prince was gibbering in fear, the paleness of his skin for once not coming from his possession. Somewhere behind her, Mindy heard the pretty redheaded woman give a small gasp.

" What is he doing?"

" Somethin' very, very stupid." Jesse whispered in response as he climbed to his feet.

" Anderson, where d'ya think y're goin'?"

Jesse pushed past the still irate Hassleberry, his bright green eyes focused on Jaden. Mindy watched him go, tightening her grip on Lia as the boy passed. In the arena, Ojin's fingers nervously skittered over his deck.

" You...You aren't...you _can't be_..." He pleaded, even as Jaden stopped a few feet in front of him.

The boy paused, as if to consider the prince's whispered plea. A slow, cold smirk stretched his lips and the Slifer walked forward with more purpose, causing Ojin to scrambled backwards.

" No! Stay away! Don't come any closer!"

" Then surrender." Jaden said softly. " That's all I want. Just your surrender. Give up, and I promise not to touch you."

Ojin slapped his opposite hand onto his deck, a trickle of sweat sliding down his face.

" I surrender! _I surrender! _Just get away from me!"

" Alright." Jaden extended his right hand. His fingers just barely skirted Ojin's forehead. On the stairs, Jesse picked up his pace.

" Jay!" Came the warning shout, but the Slifer ignored it.

" Now then, why don't you show me your real face?" Jaden tilted his head, and Mindy squeezed her eyes shut and buried her face in Lia hair, unwilling to see what transformation her friend had undergone. Because her eyes were shut so tight, she missed the flick Jaden made with his wrist, and the flash of light as something white and formless was seemingly ripped from Ojin's body. She missed the look of triumph on Jaden face as he reached forward and closed his hand around the mass, squeezing tighter and tighter until it vanished into dust around his fist. She even missed the way the entire room flickered to silver as Jaden performed his actions, silence forced upon his audience by the weight of his power. The only part of this event Mindy experience was the blood-curdling scream the rose from Ojin as the mass was extracted, and the dull thud of two bodies colliding as Jesse vaulted over the barrier and crashed into Jaden, taking him down even as the Slifer smiled at the unconscious Prince out of golden eyes.

As Mindy let her face slowly rise from the protective barrier of Lia's hair, a soft whisper, this time in a voice less ancient but no less powerful, echoed through the hauntingly silent duel arena.

" After all that..." Jaden murmured staring up at the ceiling with tired brown eyes, apparently unaware of Jesse's weight or his concerned frown, "...after all that...

" I still can't remember her name."

* * *

And here, my dears, is the slight return of Yubel.

I thought long and hard about whether or not Jaden would fully remember her, and I decided against it. There's just too much fun in screwing with him next year.

Yes, Mindy's point of view. She was the best choice, because she's far enough away from the centre that she isn't still bleeding like Chazz or Alexis, but she's not ignorant about what's going on. Also, Mindy is the least likely to question things. She'll accept what's happening, if it helps.

Rayner is a Danish last name meaning 'pirate' or 'robber', and is a name given to warriors. I thought it would suit Ojin.

And, I forgot to mention this last time, but yes, this is set in the early 2020's. It's about 2024 in the story as of this chapter. So we are Five Minutes Into the Future. Yay, TVTropes!

Il blesse. Je ne l'aime pas, mais je ne peux pas partir." - It hurts. I don't like it, but I can't leave.

And we FINALLY got farther in Jaden's dream sequence.

Oh, and the next chapter is gonna be WEIRD.

See you all then,

MoS


	53. Breaking Realities

Warnings: Thing are about to get WEIRD. Also, I wrote this chapter after reading 'Interview with a Vampire' in two sittings in one day. It influenced by writing style.

Diclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

Jaden quietly walked up the stairs, complacent and docile as Jesse watched him like a hawk. A soft, sad smile was stretched across his face, his eyes downcast and heavy. He was quiet in his sorrow, content to let Jesse guide him with a hand on the small of his back, all the power and greatness that had possessed him moments before drained. He was little more than a boy again, thin and small and fragile in the harsh light above him. He seemed somehow paler under his tanned skin and flushed at the same time, his cheeks red with an almost feverish bloom. His hands hung at his sides, fingers twitching as if holding cards, and the smile, all that could be seen of his face, broke the hearts of his friends as he came closer.

As he made to pass them, he stopped, tilted his head against his shoulder, and looked over to where Lia sat, unmoving in Mindy's arms. The girl shivered, but that was all, the slow rise and fall of her chest being the only indication of life. Her eyes were also downcast, staring at her shoes as though they could give her the answers she wanted. Beyond that, there was nothing, not even with Mindy rubbing her arms through the fabric of her white hoodie, growing increasingly frantic as the moments ticked on. Atticus was leaning over his chair, hand hovering as though he wanted to touch the girl. His sister was also crowding the two girls. She whispered quickly, trying to coax Lia into responding, but the younger girl did nothing. As Mindy leaned back, Lia fell with her, a rag dog in the Obelisk's arms.

Of all his friends, who shot him worried looks and fussed over Lia with rising fear, Chazz alone held his gaze for a moment. The look the other Slifer was sending him was one of frowning confusion, neither accusing nor condemning, but not absolving either. The gray gaze pierced into Jaden with a kind of unintentional ferocity, as if Chazz was unaware of the power of his own eyes. He was staring at Jaden like he's never quite seen him before, like he was the last piece in a puzzle Chazz had been trying to solve all his life. Surprisingly, the gaze didn't bother Jaden. The intensity of it only made him blinked, not in confusion but in surprise, because he hadn't seen Chazz looking at him like that in a long while. For a moment, Jaden was reminded of the duel arena behind him, with lights flashing and cheers roaring out from the crowd and Chazz looking at Jaden like the Slifer was his executioner and his last hope. That familiar Chazz, newly robed in black, vengeful and scared but still unconsciously eager to be friends, stared at him out of his rival's face. As the gray eyes widened for a second before narrowing in though again, Jaden wondered if the puzzle that Chazz had been presented with that day had finally been solved.

Abruptly, he broke his staring contest with Jaden. He crossed his arms with a huff and leaned back in his chair. When Jaden didn't move, the older boy glared.

" Well?" Chazz motioned to the catatonic Lia with his chin. " Go on."

" Chazz, what are you talking about?" Alexis snapped, her temper worn thin by the goings-on. She reached forward to heft Lia out of Mindy's arms. " We need to get her to Miss Fontaine. She'll help."

" Leave the bitch right where she is."

Surprisingly, it was usually mellow Atticus, not volatile Alexis, who rounded on Chazz with blazing eyes and a face as black as thunder.

" Chazz, this is _not_ the time for you-"

" Yeah, yeah, stop being a jackass. I get it." Chazz waved off their concerns. He fixed Jaden with a sharp look. The other Slifer took an involuntary step forward, still staring at Chazz, trying to figure out what it was that Chazz was telling him. Something was under that fierce look- almost a plea, a favour that could never be voiced, because Chazz's pride would never allow it.

He took another step forward and peered down into Lia's pale, haggard face. She looked cold, he thought, his senses still not fully recovered. Cold and scared. She was shivering something fierce, as though all the warmth in the world couldn't undo the cold that was zinging through her. Jaden frowned.

" Help her you idiot!" Chazz snarled finally, gesturing at the shaking girl. This time, Jaden blinked in confusion.

" Chazz!" Alexis was still trying to pull Lia away from Mindy, but the dark haired girl was holding fast, her own eyes fixed on Jaden with some kind of fervent hope.

Chazz turned to Alexis, red-faced with shame but pushing forward.

" He helped us, he can help her!"

" Helped us? Helped us how?" Alexis asked, looking confused.

" Did you really think we beat the Light of Destruction on our _own_?" The older Slifer said through gritted teeth. Alexis' mouth opened for a rebuttal, but Chazz's words suddenly seemed to sink in, and she was left with her mouth opening and closing like a goldfish's. Above her, her brother frowned.

" Chazz, what are you-"

Jaden cut him off by moving. He all but gilded to where Mindy was sitting with Lia gathered in her arms, the older girl shaking just as badly as the younger, though from fright instead of cold. Her arms were locked around the younger girl, a protective barrier against any and everything that might threaten her, and it warmed Jaden's heart to see it. Not so long ago, Mindy might not have had the strength to hold Lia like that. She might have crumpled, afraid and unsure of her own power, unable to help even when she wanted to. Mindy had always been the delicate one, the soft one, trailing after them all like an eager puppy. Alexis had her talent and Lia had her anger and even Jasmine had her guts, but Mindy had always seemed to him to be softer at the center than all of them. Mindy had in her a capacity to forgive that none of them, not even Jaden some days, could equal. It was within her to walk through the trials that their group had to suffer, not unscarred, but significantly less scarred than Alexis or Chazz or even Jaden himself.

And in that great capacity to forgive, Mindy had at last found the steel beneath her softness; it was that steel that encompassed Lia now.

Jaden knelt, and Mindy carefully opened her arms, letting the younger girl slump forward until Jaden saw her face.

Her lip was caught under her teeth, being worried frantically in a motion that betrayed her blank eyes.

" Lia..." The Slifer breathed, and in that one word, there hung a weight that should not have existed. Shuddering, Lia raised her pale, sweaty face to meet Jaden's eyes.

For a moment, he didn't know what to do. He still didn't know, not really, what he had done with Chazz that day on the steps of the school. There had been anger, and hate, and a cruel, taunting voice that did not belong to Chazz, but then his memories faded behind a curtain of faint silvery light and crushing, terrible pressure. He couldn't recall what had happened, not clearly. It was as if he was watching someone else talk to Chazz, someone who not only knew the Light, but knew how to beat It, how to push Its buttons and make it angry enough to mess up. Jaden felt totally disconnected from his body when he remembered those long-ago moments, hovering above Chazz in some misty, shadowy space that could be Chazz's mind. The colours muted, the sounds muffled, even the hand that had held Chazz's body down feeling cottony and covered; the memory did not seem like it had come from Jaden's head. And so, he had no idea of what to do when confronted with a problem that once again required that strange, brutal power that lived inside of him.

Uncertain of how he was going to access that power, Jaden reached out to touch Lia's head. Contact, real, physical contact, seemed important somehow, as if touching her head would give him some insight into what was going on in the mind underneath it. Touch her like he was trying to become a part of her. Like Contact Fusion. To touch her meant to have a connection- and a connection of any kind was vital. He'd been touching Chazz when he fought the Light and wrenched it from his friend's body. He touched Alexis softly as she struggled with the destructive power, screaming for it to get out and never darkened her door (irony aside) ever again. He'd even touched the Beasts on that terrible night the previous year, their shadows bruising and breaking him. With long, sure arms he'd reached out, batted the monsters aside, and curled around Syrus fingers that hadn't trembled until he'd come to on the steps. He could remember sitting there, in the non-hostile darkness, for far longer than he should have, shaking and breathing and listening to his own racing heartbeat until he was sure that he was alive, not just having some death-dream.

Touch was essential. Touch was all important. Touch was the bond, because under the skin that touched was the blood, the most sacred of all things. The blood that raced and the blood that burned and the blood that was spilled for every cause, worthy or not. In the blood was the most holy of bonds, the bond to life, the bond those that which had given life. In the blood was the bond of birth and death, and all in between, and Jaden recognized the holiness of it. In the blood, in the blood that sung beneath the fragile cloth of skin, there was the bond to-

Jaden's eyes widened.

Yes. That was it. That was what he needed.

His hand brushed along Lia's hair. It was soft, a little rough at the edges, and he could feel the tension running through her at the top of her head. Slowly, like stroking a cat (irony again; it was abundant), he threaded his fingers through the brown hair, brushing lightly, untangling the snarls that had twisted up in her otherwise lovely curls. Said curls bounced and swished as his hand moved, falling against her white hoodie to shine dark with colour and bright with highlights. The little fissions of red that crept up when she sat in proper lights glimmered, and Jaden smiled. Yes, red, the blood, the bond. He knew what to do.

He had the distinct impression that the others were trying to talk to him. Alexis' mouth was moving and Atticus' face looked thunderous, and he could hear Syrus, though muted, as if the other boy was yelling at him from a great distance, but Jaden didn't care. All that matter, the only thing that truly existed in the world, was the slumped, shaking figure of the girl before him. His hand slid down to cup her cheek, stroking her cheekbone with his thumb, before he pressed under her chin.

" Lia." He said again, in that same breathy voice. She'd broken the skin on her lip, and thin trickle of blood was running down to where his thumb rested. Blood. In the blood was the bond, and in the bond lay his power. Jaden swiped his thumb, catching some of it, smearing a little across the cleft of her chin. He smiled softly.

" My own, dear little Lia." He whispered, leaning forward until his forehead rested against hers. Around him, the sharp sounds of his friends calling to him faded into a buzz. Beneath it, he could hear the racing thrum of Lia's heart as it pumped the blood through her body, even to the point where it spilled from her lip and onto his thumb. He pressed a little harder against her chin, and rubbed his nose against hers.

" My own dear one. My little one." Affection bloomed hot and sweet in his chest as he drew back, the first ripples of detachment flooding through him. His body seemed so far away, the things his sense were telling him rolling off of his back like water off of a duck's. The same, muted world existed around him, only instead of Lia fading into it as well, she stood out in vivid contrast, a mosaic of colours and sounds against a canvas of gray. Her hair shone, her skin gleamed, and, as he raised her face to meet his, her eyes burned so brightly that he was almost swallowed up by them.

She was beautiful. Achingly, wondrously, impossibly beautiful, in a way Alexis or Mindy or Jasmine could never have achieved. Their beauty was earthbound, tied to the mortal world and mortal conventions, but the instant her fevered eyes met his, he saw what he had been truly meant to see that day he predicted the beauty of her smile:

She was ethereal, shining against the backdrop of mortality, her very face coming alive as she looked into his eyes.

" ..._You_..." She whispered, her voice a church bell tolling up the number of the dead, stirring sorrow and heartbreak into a frenzy of wretched passion. Something shattered behind her eyes, pain flooding into them in place of tears, and Jaden's hand fell to holding her shoulder. She was shaking still, but it was a different kind of shaking, a tremble not borne from fright but deep, unyielding emotion. He allowed himself to smile.

" You've grown. You've become so beautiful." Her eyes misted over. He squeezed her shoulders. " You are as lovely now as you were then. In fact, time has only been kind to you."

" How...?" She murmured, and he felt her pain as though it was his own. His grip tightened.

" Does it matter?"

She shook her head, still staring at him like he'd hung the moon for her.

" Then don't think about it. Enjoy this moment. This..." He gestured vaguely. "...Our time. Our precious time with each other."

Nothing existed except for the girl before him. Every inch of him called to her, to hold her, to pull her close and never, not once, let her out of his sight again. How could there be anything but her, her soft face shining like a star, her vibrant eyes burning in the whiteness of her face, that terrible, exquisite pain radiating from her form? How could there have been anything but her? How could he have ever seen anything but her? How could he have _cared_ for anything but her, ever?

Overcome with the sight of her, her cupped her face in his hands and brought his forehead to her again. She was warm against him, uncomfortably and feverishly warm, but he didn't care. She was there, real and heavy, soft and as tender as she had always been. Love burned through him, from the top of his head to the tips of the fingers that carefully held her cheeks. He breathed in, and then sighed, the air making her bangs dance.

" You are so precious to me." He whispered, feeling her eyes on him. " The most precious."

" More than anyone?" Was her eager response. He nodded.

" Of course."

" Even more than..." She drifted off, unsure of her next words. He opened his eyes, pulling back to study her, the slight pout of confusion that had lit on her lips, and the way her brow furrowed in thought. A thousand different thoughts flooded back to him, high-backed redwood chairs and sturdy desks groaning until enormous piles of books and soft sunlight on open balconies. The memories shifted and turned, being lost and rediscovered over and over again.

" More than who?" He asked. Her frown deepened.

" I...I...don't know. I don't know." She looked at him with darkened eyes. " Why don't I know. Why..."

A flash.

" _I still don't remember her name_._"_

He went rigid against her.

Ojin.

Duel.

Satellite.

Sartorius.

His grip became painful.

_Light of Destruction_.

Frantically, he looked down at her. At her pale (too pale!) shining face and her vibrant, burning (oh god, _oh god_) eyes, and fear took him. With a frenzied motion, he pressed his powers into her, diving deep even as she protested, pushing against his chest as he pushed into her, desperate to find some hint, some clue as to why her eyes looked like that, so sick and wrong when compared to the rest of her ethereal beauty. He pressed his powers deep into her skin, into her blood, into where the bond lived and thrived, and...and...

_A tower was gleaming in the distance, shining as the sunlight was reflected off of it, the moat around it lapping at the marble. She willed the image to change, aware only of the fact that the gleaming structure upset her, and she wanted it gone. The tower started to sway, and she wonder if it was going to fall, and come toppling down in a hundred thousand pieces. She remembered something about a card and her cousins showing her different ways to arrange them, and she looked up at the sky. There were clouds rolling in on the horizon, blocking out the sun. She wondered if it was going to thunder. The sky looked dark enough for it._

_She looked down at her feet and was surprised to see that she was standing on the edge of a cliff, the wind whipping up clouds of dust at her feet. Only it wasn't dust at all. It was sand, and when she turned around, she saw that she was on the very edge of a desert, under a forlorn, dark green sky. She turned back to look at the tower, gulping as she took in the storm clouds that were rolling in. They seemed even darker than black, and when she looked under them, she saw that they were being reflected by the ocean._

_Her eyes widened, and she took a step away from the cliff. The image of the clouds on the smooth water's surface was distorted by a ripple that started in the very center. It spread out, growing larger and larger, waves following its path until Lia realized it was a huge whirlpool, spinning faster and faster. _

_She took another step back._

_The low roar of thunder met her ears, the clouds lighting along their bottoms in sheet lightening. She took a deep breath, trying to force herself to walk backwards. The clouds rumbled again, louder this time, and a bolt of white lightening shot down just behind her. She let out a shriek and darted forward, her hands pressed to her ears._

" _What is this?" She called, the wind howling around her. _

_She turned around to look at the tower again, it's brilliance not dimmed by the lack of sunlight in the sky. Instead, it seemed to be brighter, stark white against the black sky. She watched a forked tongue of lightening strike at the tower, and her mind flashed to the image of the tarot card her cousin had shown her, a tower hit by lightening, with citizens who were on fire leaping from the top, screaming._

_The lightening split the sky, and she was struck by how white it was. It even made the tower look dark in comparison._

_No, that wasn't right. _

_The lightening was white, but the tower wasn't white at all. It was silver._

_And, she looked harder, squinting her eyes, it didn't really look like any tower she'd ever seen. She couldn't make you bricks and stones that should've made up the body. She couldn't see a roof at the top. She couldn't even find a tiny slit of a window where an arrow might be fired out of, or a princess might sit and watch the world outside, hoping to catch sight of someone who would save her. It was a very slender tower too, incredibly smooth, and she frowned as she tried to make out more distinct features._

_Without warning, the lightning struck again. The tower sizzled with energy, and she felt her jaw unhinge as she realized that it wasn't a tower at all, but a pillar of silver light blazing a path up to the sky. _

_She was so transfixed by the tower, she failed to hear the ringing of power around her until the telltale buzz of electricity had her looking up, straight into an on-coming lightning bolt._

_The world exploded into white light around her. Unable to move, unable to think, unable, even, to tremble before the might of everything, she fell like a ragdoll, down, down, her visions clouded over with vicious white. She was blind, deaf, and dumb, her screams silenced before they touched the air, air that was humming with a strange power that was both foreign and familiar. Every inch of her hurt, but she was numb at the heart of it all, her senses dulled and her skin feeling oddly cut off from. Despite the blinding whiteness, the world before her was muted, cotton in her ears and mouth, gumming up her words until she couldn't speak. She kept falling, weightless, baseless, a feather blown about in a storm._

_Storm. The clouds had been gathering for a storm, a storm which broke around her now, shattering the white light of the lightning bolt. Only it wasn't a storm, because there was no roar of the winds and no icy stabbing of rain. There was nothing but the heavy hanging clouds about her, and she couldn't distinguish one from another. They swirled together, a formless mass of black thunder, but no thunder echoed, not even thunder pretending to be the cries of beasts. Instead, the clouds were sliding into one another, rolling over and over and over until they were one thing, one great, terrible, black cloud. And the cloud descended on her, encompassing her, carrying her far, far away..._

_And then there were sand dunes stretching out overhead and a sun, brighter and hotter than she'd ever seen it, blazing down on her. She stared out at the vast sea of sand, taking in the barren landscape and the faded, colourless sky. The air scorched the inside of her throat as she breathed in, and her skin felt itchy and tattered as the wind whipped about. An overwhelming sense of sorrow swelled in her chest, spreading slowly outwards until her arms felt heavy and her legs were water, unable to support her. She dropped her knees, hands braced on the stone railing in front of her. Her eyes stung as the tears slide down her cheeks._

_She didn't even remember beginning to cry, but the tiny drops dripped off her chin and spattered on the stones beneath her. Cracks spider webbed out from where the tears had hit the stone, and cracks raced along the firm platform that held her. To her horror, the cracks converged, sliding together and opening up great holes in the rocks that supported her. She leapt to her feet, but when she tried to run, her legs were stiff, unmoving, rooted down to the crumbling floor. She looked down, yanking at her immobile limbs, and the dread that had been filling her magnified tenfold._

_Seeping up out of the cracks in the ground, in curling, horrible tendrils, was a thick, entirely solid darkness, like the mist back in the cave so long ago, like the mass that had carried her to this desolate place. It had wrapped itself around her ankles, rooting her to the spot as the stone under her crumbled and shook, falling away to reveal a great, black abyss. Her eyes widened, taking in the gaping nothingness, and she tried to struggle, but the tendrils had crept up farther up her body, holding her in place._

_And then she was back in the cave, the moonlight casting all the rocks around her into a blue glow. The etching in the stone floor shone in the light gleaming in through the skylight, and she almost had to turn away to keep it from blinding her. All around, the cracks grew, letting the darkness seep in, hauling her down into the abyss beneath her feet._

_She blinked, and suddenly she was in the dead center of the circle carving, standing over the glowing stone, the only light in the total darkness around her. Then the sturdy stone under her feet vanished, and she slipped through, falling faster and faster into the inky black chasm, staring up at the circle that shone above her. And then it was the impossibly bright sun from earlier, beating down on her as she slipped away from the light._

_The wind whistled around her, and not even she heard the name that was ripped from her lips in a moment of terror._

_He gasped, reaching out to touch her, to grabbed, to do anything to pull her back to him, but he was held back. That same dark void that had pulled her down was hauling him back too, holding him in place, preventing him from going to her. The void, having pulled him away from her falling form, dissipated slightly, but lingered around him, as if daring him to try and go after her. __He took a step back, staring in horror as the blackness slid up to his feet, curling around the stone where he stood. But it didn't touch him, it slunk around his feet, going around wherein he stood in a small oval, giving him enough berth to step back and forward, tapping lightly at the inky black that ran by him like water._

_It rippled out where he touched it, spiraling circles emanating from where his toe had touched it. And then it was black water, rushing up to meet him, splashing against his legs and rushing back and forth, as though dragged by a vicious tide. He looked up, confused, and above him a great blue moon hung, dragging the water back and pushing it forward again, until great waves rose and fell, crashing against the rocky shore he was standing on. And the crash of the waves became monstrous roars, breaking over the eerie silence with trembling force that nearly shook his legs out from under him. He fell to his hands and knees, submerged up to his elbows in the black water (was it water, it felt too thick, too full, too alive and burning and hot to be water), staining his red jacket to ebony._

_And the water seeped up higher and higher, hardening and molding to his arms, glinting like obsidian in the golden light that was shining overhead. He looked up again, and saw that he was in the abandoned dorm, his flashlight casting a singular beam of light out into the dark hallway. In front of him was the mural of the Millenium Items, glowing a blazing gold in the darkness._

_**"**__**It feels safe**__**."**__ His own voice echoed out in the emptiness, and he reached his fingers up to touch the glowing eye of the Millennium Puzzle._

_And then it was the medallion he'd own from the Gravekeeper Chief, huge and spinning, staring back at him as he was bathed in its glow. He took a step back, almost blinded by the intensity of the heat and radiance coming off of the enlarged medallion, which had begun to spin. As he watched, the piece of gold spun faster and faster until it was a blur, the intricate carvings all whipped together, and all he could see was the great eye in the center, staring down at him. It began to rise, still glowing._

_**" **__**May it serve you in times of need."**__ The Chief's voice echoed as the medallion rose to the sky._

_And then it was a blinding sun, blazing out over an empty desert, the sand whipped into the sky by an unforgiving wind._

_But he couldn't see the burning sun or the ruined ocean before him. The blackness was solid on top of him, closing him off, severing him from his senses as though he was losing a limb. The air around him felt dark and damp and all around the smell of death and decay hung like unlit lamps from a ceiling._ _Something pushed hard on his chest, and his mouth flew open to release the air that was forced up. At the breath escaped him, something coiled around his middle, pulling him upright (but what was upright? What was up and down in this insane, spiraling world that he couldn't see?) as he struggled to take another breath. The stuff slid over his mouth, covering it, choking off his air. Another, thick strand, so heavy he could actually __feel__ it settling on his face, clamped down on his eyes, molding itself onto his skin, forcing him to remain blind._

_Frantically, he tried to raise his hands to his face, but found them bound at his sides as the substance thickened and became heavier, seeping into his clothes and wrapping around his body, molding itself into hardened, black coils that hung from his arms and legs like twisted, ripe fruit from a tree. Choking again, he tried to move his limbs, but the weight held them firm, hanging uselessly at his side. His lungs burned, but the grip of the strange blackness around him had not lessened, and his eyes watered under the thick limb laying over them._

_It smelled like a tomb, like a-_

_No. His mind whispered. No. Anywhere but here. Send me to any grave but this. I will not rest quietly here._

_It happened in a split second. There was a half an instant of silence, and then the shadows let out pitiful wails as they were blasted off of Jaden's body, flung by some unknown force into the far corners of the surrounding abyss. Their shrieks of pain echoed all around, and Jaden stood at the very center of it all, unmoving, his face still down-turned and his eyes still hidden in shadow. The light surrounding him grew brighter, swirling over his limbs and through his hair until it was a shifting, blazing sphere. It encompassed his whole being, hot and strong and pulsating in time to his steady, sure heart._

_And then he was moving, moving within the sphere of the silver light, being hurled through time and space, jagged edges memories sliding over his eyes, remembered, understood, and forgotten in a split second. He was flying beyond time, beyond space, hurtling towards a destination that had no name and no reason. Fields of emerald vanished beneath him, lakes of sapphire little more than blue blurs as the sphere pulled him closer and closer. To what, he didn't know, but he knew he had to reach it, had to see it, or fall._

_As the green gave way to gold that finally gave way to churning black, his eyes got something. She stood, on the very edge of a high cliff, eyes transfixed on something in the distance. She was slim and pale and very beautiful, and so familiar to him that it made him ache. He reached out a hand to touch her, but the sphere pulled him forward once more, and she was lost as he crashed, flung backwards into oblivion..._

Jaden pulled back, gasping, trembling, his epiphany flying from him like startled birds. A violent shove sent him falling backwards into a stunned Jesse, and then there was a blur of motion as a figure in white (Lia, that was who she was, right? That was Lia, wasn't it? Sweet Lia, cold Lia, terrible and kind Lia, his Koneko-chan; for a moment, he didn't recognize her) scrambled past him. She flew down up the stairs as though she had wings, ignoring the desperate calls behind her. At the very top, right before the doorway, she paused, and looked back. Her wild, frightened eyes found his, and, for a moment, he could almost imagine her thoughts.

' What was _that_? What just happened? _How_ did it happen? Who are you? ...Who am _I_?'

" Lia..." He whispered, not at all surprised (though he should have been) when her eyes widened at the sound of her name.

Then the spell broke as she twisted around and ran out into the hall. Jaden leaned against Jesse, exhausted and shaken. Without having to open his eyes, he felt Alexis turn to him.

" Ja...Jaden?" The question was in his name, and she didn't need to say anymore. He brought a hand to his throbbing temples.

" I don't know, Lex. I don't know any more than you."

" You were..." She struggled to find the words. " ...You two just sat there...staring at each other for so long...and then..."

" Then she jus' came alahve an' _ran_." Jesse finished, hefting him to his feet.

" Neither of us...spoke?" Jaden asked softly. Alexis bit her lip (a habit she'd undoubtedly picked up from her friend), and shook her head. Jaden frowned. He remembered speaking. He remembered calling her name, telling her how beautiful she was, that she meant more to him than anyone in the world.

No.

Not anyone.

There was someone else, a spectre hanging over his every move, haunting his every memory with its presence. The name escaped him but the eyes did not. Vibrant orange and green, Jaden could easily picture those eyes, bright with adoration, fixed on him. He could easily recall his own joy at that image as well.

" You two were sahlent as the grave." Jesse offered. Only he and Alexis seemed able to speak, the others still rendered silent under the thrall of whatever had happened. Jaden flinched at the phrase, reminded of the crypt he never seemed to be able to escape.

" I see..." He muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. Sounds and colours danced on his closed lids, the images he'd seen in that brief trance with Lia coming back to him in shards, the whole picture lost to him. It was troubling, but not unexpected. He always lost something when he used that power inside of him.

" Jaden?"

He opened his eyes. Alexis was looking at him like he'd never seen her look at him before. There was fear in her eyes, yes, but more than that, there was faith. Blind, perfect, obedient faith, the kind that the piteous had in their gods and followers had in their leaders. She was looking at him as though she were before an altar, kneeling and wholly ready to give herself over to her faith. Jaden felt himself shudder at that look.

" Yes, Lex?"

The look didn't leave her eyes.

" What...What _was_ that? For a second...for just one second...the world was so silver and I felt...I felt..." She trailed off, and Jaden finally understood why the look made him so uncomfortable.

It was far too similar to the ones the Society members gave Sartorius.

He closed his eyes, unable to bear her looking at him like that.

" I don't know, Lex." He answered honestly. Jesse's warmth at his back was comforting. He leaned more into it, desperate for some kind of contact, something tangible and real and committed to memory. He wanted something, just one thing, to take away from the day; something that had nothing to do with the Light of Destruction or his own, mysterious power, or the strange pain his every action caused Lia. He wanted something mundane and human to remember from the grueling day, and Jesse's arm on his shoulder was good enough. He sighed.

" I don't know anything anymore."

* * *

...

I uh...

Yeah.

...

Damn you Anne Rice! Damn you and your angsty vampires and your Lestats and your pretty, pretty language! I am helpless before it! Also, this. THIS.

I don't actually know what this is. Well, no, I do. But I can't tell you because it would spoil the surprise.

But be afraid, guys. Be afraid.

Lia: What the HELL did you do to me?

Oh, you're back. Good. We'll continue this next time.

Lia: No, we'll continue it NOW!

No time, updates to look after, food to eat, buh-bye!

Lia: You bitc-!

See you in an hour!

MoS


	54. Revealing Moments

Warnings: It's stil weird. And then Lexi is gonna be a badass.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

Whether he would ever know it or not, Jaden's guess on what Lia's thoughts might have been was frighteningly close to the truth. The only reason he had not guessed her words exactly was because Lia was not truly thinking the moment she fled the duel arena.

She was mindless, the only thing guiding her being an instinct to flee whatever it was that was hurting her. Surrounded by faces she didn't recognize and hearing voices she didn't know, being held by arms that belonged to strangers, she shoved forward and ran, fearful and wild as a startled deer. The only thing that made any sense was the mad need to get away, to find somewhere safe where she could huddle up in a little ball and never be bothered by those unknown faces again.

Adrenaline made her blood pump faster, and before she knew it, she had climbed the stairs and was almost out the door when something made her turn back. Her eyes scanned the gathered company (and not one of them struck a chord in her, not one of them made her feel safe. They were a formless, flesh-coloured mass of eyes looking at her, seeing inside of her, _judging_ _her_ when they had no right. No one had the right to judge her, any of her, any of the million, million parts of her that were all screaming at once, a hundred thousand faces dancing in front of her eyes, none of them her own but all of them hers. How dare they judge her, she who had been through hell? She, who braved the depths of depravity for the sake of something precious? She, who alone – _alone_ – knew the great power of love? Who were those grubby, faceless bastards to judge her in all her terrible and wondrous glory?), and rested, for a moment, on one figure.

There, at last, she found a familiar face, but why it was familiar she couldn't decide. The cut of the jaw, or the way his bangs fell into his face perhaps. There was something about the brown haired boy that calmed her, for a moment. She knew him, knew him with a deep, unerring part of her, one of the only parts that wasn't screaming and crying and telling her to run. That part, that vital, grounding part of her, knew the boy as she would have known her own hand.

Then he raised his face to her, and her calm vanished.

Because at the sight of his golden eyes, love and fear exploded into her with enough force to get her moving again, and then she was flying down the hall, colours and sounds blending together in one long, painful blur. The voice of the boy echoed in her mind, his lips forming the same word over and over again. She ran faster, desperate to get away, desperate to flee, terrified of what she would discover if the boy's words caught up to her. Running was the only option, because not knowing anything, she knew instinctively, was better than knowing what that boy was trying to tell her.

She was running faster now – how, she wasn't sure, because her legs were already moving so hard and fast, but still, she went faster. The creamy walls had changed to bright green leaves and endlessly blue skies, but still she ran. She ran without realizing how much she was running, how hard her legs were pumping or how deeply her chest was heaving. She ran until she felt light-headed, but she didn't stop, because she couldn't feel anything but the fear coursing through her, telling her to get as far away from that boy and his knowledge as she could. Nothing in the world would ever be as agonizing as knowing what that boy did.

But, even as she ran (intended to run until something gave out. Her lungs, her legs, even her heart, it didn't matter. Just so long as she ran until there was nothing left to run for her, until the land gave out and her feet were trapped on the very last grain of sand before the edge of the world. And then she didn't know what she would have done. She didn't know anything, beyond the need to _get away_), the sound and the colour and the whisper that boy had uttered in the dead silence of the room came back to her.

" _Lia..."_

Her eyes widened.

And Lia Shanner crashed head first into a tree.

The pain of it stunned her, and she fell backwards in a graceless heap. Yelping as she did so, the girl ended up sprawled on her back, staring up at the dark blue sky. Stars glimmered through the gaps in the leaves, and, for a moment or two, she was thoroughly distracted by trying to pick out certain constellations, her head buzzing and her face aching.

The ache made her aware. Her chest was heaving frantically, her lungs as starved for air as they would've been if she had been drowning. Her legs were burning, heavy as lead and she found that trying to make them moving, even to shift them, was even more painful. She was sweating too. She could feel the streaks the drops left as they fell off her brow. She lay there panting, staring up at the starry sky, trying to make sense of everything that had happened.

Lia. That was what he had said, that boy. He'd said a name. That name. Lia. A name. A name...

Her eyes flew open impossibly wide as she sat up, ignoring the protesting of her weary body.

_Oh god_.

" That's my name." She whispered to the night air. And at the words, the world rushed back to her.

_Lia Shanner Otillia Margot daughter of Beline and Liam cousin of Magda no father he left he's gone all alone new father Gauvin good to mother loves me enough has three children mother doesn't care mother doesn't get it I'm alone but I'm not because there are people here and they love me they love me so so much and I love them and I want to be with them and everything hurts and I feel so weak but I need to be strong because they need me to be strong and it hurt to lose them and it hurt even more to get them back because I don't know where we go from here I don't know how to love them anymore I don't even know if I can love them anymore but I do I do I need them they make me strong I don't know how to be without them I never want to have to be without them I love them all so so so so so much please never leave me I need you all Alexis Chazz Atticus Syrus Jaden Jaden Jaden**...**_

"Omigod." She brought fluttering fingers to her mouth. She could hear a bird give its last call somewhere overhead, and the wind whispered through the leaves of the tree. The calm of the night did nothing to soothing her racing heart. It beat so fast that Lia was sure it would burst from her chest. She looked at the stars without truly seeing them, registering only how far away they seemed. They were so remote, so untouchable despite her desire to do so. She wanted to reach up and grasp one in her hand, feeling the sparkling light of it between her fingers, understand its warmth with her skin. She wanted to hold it close to her chest, cradle it, protect it in a way that would make it love her. She wanted to possess one of those millions of tiny stars, wear it as a band of light on her wrist.

Her fingers were outstretched before she realized she'd raised her hand. Reaching upwards for the stars, her vision faded for a moment, and the glow of the distant lights suddenly engulfed her. She was lost in a swirl of soft silver light as it touched her, smoothed the worried furrows from her brow and soothed the ache of her chest and face. It surrounded her in a strange embrace, cradling her to it as she wanted to cradle it. Her fingers reached out to brush along the edge of the silvery substance.

_And then, from the depths of his very being, called up a strength he didn't remember having from a part of him that he didn't know, and __**pushed**__ at the not-white, burning, painful vastness in front of him. His skin scorched, his body stung, his vision swam in and out of blackness, but he pushed, harder and harder until the blaze of pain was dulled to nothing, and all that remained was the warmth of that slumbering thing deep inside of him. That thing, that glorious, powerful thing that had pulled him from the jaws of death, that terrible, angry thing that had yanked Chazz back from the edge of the abyss, that great, god-like thing that forced Jaden's eyes open and his body forward even as his mind screamed for rest..._

Lia's eyes flew open. And before her, in the very centre of the silver mass that held her, were a set of golden eyes, looking at her. They were dark with a broken heart. They were filmed over with accusing tears.

And they were Jaden's bright, burnish gold eyes, the likes of which she had only seen in that brief, frightening encounter that had robbed her of everything that she was for a few moments.

Panicked, Lia shuffled back. The eyes continued to stare at her, asking her a question she couldn't bring herself to answer. The response was on her tongue for a moment, making it heavy, and then she was swallowing it back, more terrified by what she might say than anything else. With fearful eyes that reflected her own breaking heart, she shook her head from side to side. The eyes slowly seemed to sink into the silvery light around her, and she was struck with the insane urge to call them back. But it was too late. They had faded into the silver, which was growing brighter and brighter by the second. She threw her arms up to shield her from the blinding light, far too pale in her opinion, and felt one last caress on her, shapeless fingers pressing lightly against the mark beneath her collarbone before withdrawing quickly, as if burned. Her vision went to white for a split second, and then the sky was back, stars glittering and a moon high in the sky.

Lia looked at the moon for a moment, mystified.

" What the hell?" She muttered, finally lowering her head. It came to rest in her hands, her eyes closed. Every inch of her throbbed with pain. She felt like one gigantic bruise. Groaning, she let herself fall backwards again.

" God, I am so _sick_ of this shit." She reached up to poke her nose. It hurt, to be certain, but it didn't seem to be broken or even bleeding, just extremely tender. The Ra girl laid an arm across her eyes, blocking out any sight of stars or light or trees. All there was was the blackness that stretched out before her, calm and soft and inviting. Lia whimpered.

" I'll just..." She whispered, not knowing who or even what she was talking to. She rolled onto her side, her left arm coming to cushion her head, her right casually falling over her stomach. She sighed deeply.

" Jus' gonna...close m'eyes...f'a bit..."

And as Lia drifted off to sleep, she twisted her body slightly, so that the moonlight fell upon the large, red stain that tarnished the pure white of her shirt.

* * *

Alexis was in a panic.

Which wasn't saying much, given that she had been in a panic for most of the time since she'd come back from the Society of Light. Danger lurked around every corner, things were quickly snowballing out of control, and Alexis wasn't even sure what was real anymore. Her nights were plagued with visions of duels she'd never had and during the day, those visions haunted her. She could see people she'd hurt, things she'd done, insults she'd directed, and the weight of it all made her fearful of sleep. She didn't want to know what ungodly thing she'd done while under the thrall of the Light. The fact that the dreams were only half-remembered, that they faded quickly the moment she woke up and left only vague images and a rising sense of dread, was even more worrying. While Alexis didn't want to know what had occurred in those lost months, she would rather be fully informed than half-informed. She'd rather know the full brunt of what she'd done, than be given hazy hints that left her open to hours of morbid speculation.

And it was speculation, because no one would talk about it. Jaden was tight-lipped and kept shaking his head when asked, pleading with his eyes to not make him tell her. Alexis, feeling guilty about the weight of the world again being on Jaden's shoulders (despite her promise and despite her attempts to help, things always seemed to fall to Jaden. It was always him that had to save everybody, and no matter how much Alexis tried to help, either by offering to duel in his place or be a friendly ear to his complaints, Jaden seemed determined to heap it all on himself. There was a cold determination in him that Alexis hadn't seen last year. A grim set to his mouth, a steely look in his eyes that hadn't been there until the Sacred Beasts had shown themselves. Sometimes, it was hard to look at Jaden, because he looked less and less like a teenager and more and more like a general commanding his troops.),agreed. Jaden would not be her source of information.

Her brother reacted almost the same. His face would go dark and he wouldn't meet her eyes. He'd turn away from her and say that she didn't need to know, because it was all over. It didn't feel over to Alexis, but Atticus wouldn't say anything else. He was remarkably good at making himself scarce when he didn't want to be found, and he had all but vanished for extended periods of time. It was a miracle he'd shown himself at their sleepover.

Everyone else was unfit to ask. Syrus had kept clear of her, Jasmine and Mindy didn't know anything but the minor-est of details, and Chazz was suffering from the same memory loss as she was. Aster Phoenix might have been helpful, having come into contact with her several times, but his silence, unlike Jaden's or Atticus', was hostile, and he glared at her every time they met. The reason was obvious, as obvious as why she would never ask Lia. Their friendship was strained, holding on by a thread, and to ask would only pour salt on those slowly healing wounds.

No, Alexis was never going to ask Lia what had happened with the Society of Light.

She was, however, determined to ask Lia what had happened to _her_.

It had all started out so simple. Chazz insisted that Jaden could help the catatonic girl. Alexis had been ready to protest (because Jaden was drifting farther and farther from them. The more he dueled, the more he fought, the greater the distance was between them. And every time the world was tinged with silver, Alexis felt her heart leap into her throat, because it wasn't Jaden making it happen. It was Jaden's face and Jaden's body and Jaden's skin, but it wasn't Jaden soul or his smile or his eyes. The only thing she truly remembered about coming back was the soft hand on her head and eyes as golden as the sun looking deep inside of her. Golden eyes that were appearing more and more as time went on.), but then Jaden had glided forward and was kneeling in front of Lia, puzzled but willing to try. The protest had died in her throat.

Then it had been strange. Jaden had touched Lia, played with her hair, and started smiling a smile Alexis didn't know he could. He looked almost besotted, but that wasn't the right word. There was nothing romantic about the way Jaden had looked at the younger girl, but it was still disturbing, because Alexis was sure Jaden had never looked at someone like they were his entire world before.

He'd sat there, combing her hair with his fingers and leaning his forehead against hers. When he'd finally forced her to look at him, Lia had opened eyes that were as fever bright as any Society member's, and Alexis had felt sick. The moment had hung, heavy with fearful silence, as every member of the group had sucked in their breath at the sight of Lia's dangerously burning eyes. Neither of the duo had noticed, too trapped in each other's gaze. Lia's fingers had kept flexing, like she wanted to reach out to Jaden and return his innocuous touches but was held back by something. Alexis had been irresistibly reminded of those early days in the hospital of last year, poised over her brother's bedside, afraid to take her eyes off of him lest her vanish into thin air again.

Then Jaden had seemed to see what they all saw, those horrible eyes, and it had all gone strange.

That same explosion from before, that power and charged air that had ripped through the stadium as Jaden had saved Prince Ojin (where was he? Where was that Linda woman? They'd been standing together after the duel, their heads pressed close as they'd talked in hushed tones, Linda carefully scanning the prince for injuries and the prince basking in her concern. Alexis had seen them out of the corner of her eye, but almost all of her attention had been on Lia) surged over her, over them all. Alexis found herself being flung back, pressed into the seat as the wave of energy broke over her, not painful or deadly, but knowing. Her entire being was once again filled with that mysterious power, its presence not intrusive like the Light, but warm and comforting and soft. It closed around her like an embrace, and as her vision was consumed by silver, she felt it, whatever it was, keen for her pain.

Because what happened next was pain. The silver shifted, and in her mind's eye, she could finally see what had eluded her for so long.

_" What are you doing here?"_

There, as though she'd always had the memory, was herself, decked out in white. Her face was twisted into a cruel look and her eyes were as dark with anger as the fervent brightness of the Light would allow. She looked gaunt and pale, her skin unhealthily pale, even more so against the white of her uniform. She did not look like Alexis Rhodes. She wasn't sure what looked like, but the sight of her own body made her sick.

_Aster turned back towards the group, coming face to face with the girl herself. Alexis had crossed the space to stand right in front of him, but her gaze was fixed on Lia, who had dropped her head._

_" I just..." She whispered, all the fight gone out of her. " I was...Lex, I was..."_

So small, so broken. Alexis felt her heart clench at the sight. Lia was never supposed to look like that, like she'd given up. Not her Kitten, with claws and fire and fierce, protective love. As she watched the scene unfold, Alexis felt the silver mass wrapped tighter around her, somehow understanding the light pressure on her head to be a sign of comfort.

_" We were looking for Jaden, is that a crime?" Aster cut in, shifting so that he was half blocking a very downtrodden Lia. _

_"This was a private function. You were not invited." Alexis continued, glaring at them._

_Lia shuffled uncomfortably._

_" The duel's over now, so I don't think your rules apply anymore." Aster argued back._

_" That doesn't mean you can just come barging in here without an invitation when the Society is congregating. We won't tolerate it."_

_"This is a public place, honey."_

So that was why Aster and Lia seemed to have formed a friendship. Alexis could suddenly understand the pro star's animosity towards her, if this was how she'd acted towards him. Still, it made her just the tiniest bit happy that Lia hadn't been alone. The younger girl had at least had someone to protect her.

_" Lexi..." Lia whispered._

_" What, you need to go cry to Jaden to make yourself feel wanted?"_

_Aster's jaw dropped at the tone the older girl took, Lia closed her eyes, wincing, and took a step backwards._

Alexis, the true, solid Alexis, mirrored both of their actions.

_" Lexi, stop it."_

_" And I told you to stop calling me that. I only let my friends call me that, and you sure as hell are not my friend."_

_" Wait." Aster looked between the two girls. " What?"_

_" Oh, she didn't tell you?" Alexis flipped a lock of blonde hair over her shoulder. " I threw her out of the White Dorm a few hours ago. She kept trying to talk to me, like she thought she was important enough to come and see me." She let out a mocking bark of laughter._

" What?" She pressed her hands against her mouth, looking horrified. The thing around her rubbed her arms and the faint press of a kiss could be felt on her temple.

_" Lexi. Stop it." Lia said, not looking at her._

_" I'll say it one more time, you stupid bitch: Stop calling me that. I want nothing to do with a social reject like you. You honestly thought we were friends? That I'd ever lower myself to associate with the likes of you? You're even more pathetic than I thought. The Light has shown me the truth. Weak losers like you are of no use to me."_

" No." Alexis whispered, shaking her head in denial. " No, I don't mean that. I could never mean it! She's my best friend!" Frantically, she turned to the memory Lia who was close to tears. " You know that, don't you? You know how much I love you, right? I'd never say anything like that! Never!"

_" Alexis, stop it!" Lia yelled suddenly, forcing the other girl to step back in surprise. Down below, her shout caught the attention of Jaden and the two Ra's he was with. Lia walked forward until she was face to face with Alexis._

_" Stop saying those horrible things! Stop talking like you don't care about me because I know you do! You're my best friend Alexis, and this isn't like you at all!" She punctuated her words with well-timed jabs at Alexis' ample chest. " You're not this mean and you're not acting like yourself and you would never, ever hurt me being saying things like that. You're my friend and I know you don't mean any of those things!"_

_" Like Hell I don't!" She snarled back. " You make me sick!"_

" Shut up!" Alexis shrieked, swiping at the image of herself. Her hands passed through the figure as though it were made of smoke. " Shut up you bitch! Don't you _ever_ talk to any one of my friends like that ever again!"

_" No I don't."_

_" I can't stand to be around you!"_

_" I know you don't mean that."_

_" I've hated you ever since the first time I laid eyes on you."_

" That isn't true! It's not!" Alexis screamed, her throat raw with sobs of fury. " I thought that you were cute and funny and nice the first time I saw you, Lia! That bitch is lying! She's not me!" She turned again to the memory Lia, who had started to shake. Aster was watching the back and forth from the wall, frowning. He was clearly trying to figure out if he should jump in or not. Alexis looked desperately at Lia. " It's not me! You know that! It's not me, I'd never, ever, hurt you like this! I'd never hurt _anyone_ like this!"

_" That's a lie and you know it!" There were tears in Lia's eyes now. " The first time you ever saw me I told Jaden that I was gonna make sure he stayed awake in class and you laughed and said you liked me! You protected me from Jasmine when she tried to take my camera and you and I made a bet about what was in the basement of the Abandoned Dorm! We've been friends ever since!" Lia reached out and gently touched Alexis' arm. " Wake up, please Lexi."_

_" Don't touch me!" Alexis slapped her hand away. " I've been blinded all this time by the darkness. It kept the truth hidden from me. But not, thanks to the Light, I can see clearly. And I know that I would never befriend someone as weak and pathetic as you! This is the true me, the one who's been bound and lost in the dark for so long, and I want nothing to do with you!"_

Alexis lunged. She clawed viciously at her past counterpart, but fell through again. This only served to spur on her anger and she swiped again, kicking with her legs and trying desperately to land some sort of hit on the bitch who was hurting Lia and would hurt Jaden and threatened to tear down everything Alexis had worked so hard to achieve. The phantom mass around her allow her to wriggle and squirm as she tried to get closer, to hit harder, to just plain _hurt_ the her in white.

_" Alexis, control your temper."_

Chazz's eerily calm voice broke through, and the vision shattered, falling to pieces before her eyes. As the silver gently pushed aside the hair that had fallen into her face in her struggles, a new picture started to take shape. A foggy, hazy image formed out of the silver, dark and green, sharp yet soft eyes looking at her with pity.

_" I don't have to take this."_

_" Oh, I think you do." Zane gave her a look that wasn't quite as cold as all the others he'd given her since they'd met by the light house. It seemed almost warm, his gaze prickling her skin and making something twist uncomfortably in her head._

_" In fact," his voice had dropped again, but it wasn't a growl this time, " I think you __want__ to take it. I think you __want__ to listen."_

_Her back against the light house, Alexis gasped._

_" Excuse me?"_

He was so close, Alexis could barely stand it. After showing her what had happened to Lia, dangling Zane, in all his Hell Kaiser glory, before seemed unbearably cruel. She wanted to reach out and touch him, to try and soothe him. She wanted to take that awful weight in his eyes away. He was her precious friend, and as much as she believed in Jaden, there was something in her that wanted to protect Zane from all the hurt. He'd always been there, a faithful shadow in her life, secretly guarding her. He'd promised Atticus that she'd be safe, and Alexis wanted to pay him back, but if she'd hurt him the way she'd hurt Lia, even this cold version of him, they she didn't know what she'd do. With a tight chest, she leaned back to watch the scene play.

_" You want me to save you." He whispered, and the Light reared Its head in fury. Her own throbbed at the outburst._

_" I don't want you." She insisted, mocking smirk on her face even as his face darkened and a flush crept up the back of her neck._

_" Lexi, I'm warning you." Zane said, his teeth clenching. The heat in his eyes, the promise that she didn't dare ask him to voice, was almost unbearable, but Alexis wanted to run. Her heart was beating far too fast and the Light was clawing at her ribs, pushing at them like It wanted to get to the thundering organ beneath them. Each jab left her breathless and disoriented, and Zane's hand suddenly felt like a lead weight on her shoulder. It hung like a noose around her neck and for some reason she both wanted to throw it off and grab it with the intention of never letting go._

_Alexis let her head fall back, low moan of pain coming from her mouth as another jab made her grit her teeth. Zane's other arm snapped up and trapped her between the light house and his body. Her every nerve ending sang with agony as the Light roughly shoved at her, making her lean back against the stone. He followed her with his own body, holding her up as her knees threatened to give way._

_" Easy, Lexi. Take it easy. I'm right here." He dropped his head to whisper in her ear. Alexis leaned her head to the side, baring her neck._

_" It hurts." She moaned, shaking. " Why does it hurt? It shouldn't want to hurt me. I've seen the Light. Go away." She shoved at his chest, but her legs felt very weak, and she wanted nothing more than to collapse into his arms and let him do something, anything, to help the ache that was starting to form in her chest._

_" Of course it's hurting." Zane hissed in her ear. " Don't you know what that is inside you? A monster, Lex. A hideous, twisted form of life that's got no business living off of your spirit. It's a parasite, and it's sucking you dry, Alexis."_

_" Shut up." She whispered, almost completely undone by the feel of the iron spearing through her. Zane pressed himself closer, and she all but collapsed into him, hating herself. She moved her leg, trying to kick at him, and the sigh Zane gave her as he blocked it rankled her. Then his hand tightened on her leg, pushing it up to lay flat against the lighthouse. His rough hand dug into the skin of her knee where he held it, and she trembled at the rough treatment._

_" I want to help you, Lex, I do. I want to save you. You're so important to me." his voice became strangled and he punctuated the words with sharp squeeze of the skin under his hand. "But I can't do it unless you want it."_

_Alexis' eyes nearly rolled back into her head. Tiny explosions were rippling out from the core of her body, and she could barely stand it. Her whole body trembled with pain. She was afraid to open her mouth, because the only sounds she could make at the moment would only confirm what he was saying. Her mind screamed that it was wrong, that she should push Zane away, that allowing herself to be spoken to like that by a lost one was going against everything the Society stood for._

_For the first time, Zane looked like he was pleading._

_" Please."_

A sob tore its way from Alexis' throat. So here it was at last, the truth. Zane looking at her, trying to save her, hurt and cruel and reborn in Hell but still keeping his promise to Atticus. She wanted to touch him. She wanted to reach out and let him know that, somehow, he _had _saved her. She was alright again, and it hadn't all be Jaden. It had been Zane too; Zane looking into her eyes, Zane holding her close, Zane touching her like she would fall to pieces in his arms...

_Before she was aware of what she was doing, her addled brain finally gave up fighting. Through the numbness that had spread through her body like wildfire, she found herself her dragging him down, maybe a little too sharply, to meet her eyes._

Alexis' eyes flew open in shock, because it wasn't happening, it couldn't be happening, not the thing she'd always wanted in her most secret of hearts, not the thing she'd dreamed humiliating dreams about, not the thing she'd given up on what Atticus disappeared and then given up on again when Zane had descended into madness, it couldn't be, it just _couldn't_...

_She whined with pain, her back arching slightly, and flashes of things exploded behind her closed eyes._

_Chazz, dressed in white and showing her his hand and she couldn't win, even though she knew every move he could make._

_Sartorius, his hair fanning out behind him and a fanatical, fanged grin on his face, welcoming her into the fold, his white jacket seeming to glow as he congratulated her on seeing the Light._

_Zane, dark and brooding and hot as a brand of iron against her, pulling down, his hair blowing in the chilled breeze wafting off the ocean, hauling her to him, holding her tight, lips on her brow, soothing and soft and not like him at all, his eyes looking at her with something that could've been love once upon a time and whispering nonsense words into her ear when she cried-_

_**' **__**Don't be afraid**__.__' The voice was commanding and strong. Alexis leaned closer, trying to draw on the confidence that emanated from the body next to her. She felt fingers pressed more solidly against her heart. ' __**It feeds on fear and doubt. Believe that you cannot be taken and you won't be.**__'_

_' __**You are stronger than It.**__' The woman whispered in her ear. __**'**__**So It wants to break you.**__'_

_And Alexis, through all her pain and all the heat and all the messed up memories that were slowly seeping out of her and slipping through the tentative grasp she had on them, finally felt another feeling besides despair and helplessness._

_She got angry._

_" Get out." She snarled through gritted teeth. " You're done playing and you're done pulling the strings and I want you out!"_

_The heat tried to push back._

_" I'm done with this crap! I won't let you hurt my friends anymore, and I won't let you use my body like your toy and I won't ever let you touch my spirit again, you understand me? Now you. __Get. __**The hell! OUT!**__"_

And then everything had been lost behind blazing light, colourless, not white or silver or anything.

The memories had stopped, and Lia had been shoving, scratching, wild-eyed and trying to get away from them all. Alexis had watched her go, had watch Jaden's shaking apathy to his own lack of knowledge, and run out after the brunette, scared for both Lia and herself.

Because Alexis understood now. She understood what had happened, all those months ago. She understood what she'd done and how badly Lia and the others had been hurt. She understood why Lia was scared of her and why Aster seemed to hate her and why Jaden didn't want to tell her anything.

And more than that, she finally, at long last, understood why Jaden looked at her with such distant eyes, why he wasn't jumping to protect her at every turn, why he was letting her stumble through this without guiding her anymore. It wasn't that he was heaping it all on himself, shutting her out of it. He was delegating, giving her a chance to step up and fight on her own terms, just as she had done in the creeping light of the dawn in front of the Red Dorms.

Jaden hadn't been cutting her off. He'd been respecting her power.

Her power. Her very own power, the one she'd used to push the Light of Destruction from her body with nothing but stubbornness and a desire to make it all right. Jaden had seen it, and in letting her go, he'd respect that victory. Alexis clenched her fist. She was going to find Lia, because Jaden was clearly too exhausted by whatever had happened to him to do so. She was going to find Lia because it was her turn to do something in this war they'd found themselves in. She was going to find Lia, and they were going to talk, really talk, about everything that had happened. And after they'd sifted through pain and sadness and betrayal, after all that was out of the way, then maybe they could have a real girl-talk. About clothes and school and boys- yes boys, because Aster was looking at Lia in ways that no one, not even Jaden, ever had and Alexis' lips were tingling from a memory that she'd had known existed.

" Cyber Tutu!" She cried. The monster shimmered into being, easily keeping pace with Alexis as she ran. " I need to find my friend, Lia. Can you help me?"

' _Always_.' The monster said in her whirring noises, and took off, floating above the trees as she went. Alexis smiled in relief, and then took a sharp turn, darting off the marble pathway and into the forest. She didn't know what guided her, only that she was certain Lia had done the same. Twisting to avoid the trees, Alexis set her lips in a grim line.

' It's about time I did something besides hide behind Jaden and cry.'

With that thought in mind, Alexis picked up the pace. She turned the corner at a tree, heading deeper into the forest. The day was starting to dawn grey and stormy (how long had she been up? How long had any of them been up? It seemed so long ago that Lia had gotten that phone call from Aster after her confession. The duel hadn't taken that long, had it? Or maybe Alexis had just been lost in those horrid memories for longer than she'd realized. Had Lia and Jaden been in their trance for hours on end? Alexis didn't know. Time had lost all meaning except for it racing towards the moment when the Light of Destruction revealed itself.) and through the early morning mist, Alexis searched.

Somewhere in the forest, Lia was slowly waking up, her nap having left her neck sore and her arms cold from the dew. It was very likely Alexis might have stumbled across her, looking like a birch nymph, had the helicopter not chosen that exact moment to crash into a tree outside the White Dormitories.

* * *

Yes, I went there.

Lia: What the fuck was that?

That, my dear, was a PLOT POINT.

Lia: So you do...THAT to me and now this?

Yeah, yeah, discussion later.

Lia: You said discussion this chapter, you bitch!

Technical difficulties ate up too much time. I'm on a schedule here.

Lia: Yes, because that worked out SO WELL last time.

...I deserved that.

Lia: You deserve a lot more than just that. I can't believe HeroSlayer is still reviewing this.

That's because HeroSlayer is awesome and forgiving beyond all reason. And now, if you'll excuse me, I have editing to do and drabbles to write.

Lia: Just don't get caught up in Fairy Tail fanfiction again!

No worries. I'm strictly off fanfiction for today. ...Be warned, withdrawals will probably start soon.

MoS


	55. Changing Rules

Warnings: Jaden being...kinda not-Jaden-ish. And overuse of the words 'lethargic' and 'languid'. I need to find my thesaurus.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

" And just what, exactly, was _that_?"

" ..."

" Well, say something!"

"..."

" Slacker!"

" ...What do you want me to say Chazz?"

" How about explaining what just happened!"

" I'd love to Chazz, I really would-"

" Don't you fuck with me, Slacker! I'm in no mood for your crap!"

" Gawd, Chazz, leave 'im alone, would ya?"

" Stay out of this, Anderson!"

" Chazz, take it easy!"

" That goes double for you, midget!"

" Princeton, this ain't helpin' nobodeh, so kahdleh put a sock in it, and sit yer ass back down!"

" You wanna start something, Bones for Brains?"

" Lahke ya could take me."

" Won't know until I try!"

" Guys, that's enough!"

" Yeah, listen to Atticus."

" I'm through listening! I want answers, but no one seems to want to give 'em to me! So either the Slacker starts talking or I start hitting everything I can get my hands on!"

" Chazz, sit down right now you overemotional dumbass! Your constant bitching is not going to help you, so quit whining! It's getting on my nerves!"

" ..."

" ...Nahce one, Prahvate Trusedale."

" You sit down too, Hassleberry."

" But he started it!"

" And now Syrus is finishing it. Honestly, with the way you guys bicker amongst yourselves it's a miracle the Light hasn't already won."

" Your faith in us is stunning Atticus."

" I'm just saying."

" Seriously. Warms my heart."

" Syrus...I..."

" Save it."

" Nahce. Takes a lot to get Trusedale here this angreh. Good job."

" Syrus...that's not what I meant."

" Then what did you mean, Atticus?"

" You too, Chazz?"

" Well?"

" Guys, it's not...I was just...look, with everything that's gone wrong...with everything that's happened...I just can't...I just _can't_..."

" You've given up."

The sound of Jaden's voice startled the boys out of their reverie. Syrus looked up from glaring at Atticus with Chazz, while Hassleberry stopped looking in between the boys with rapt interest. Atticus glanced at Jaden, bit his lip, and immediately looked back down, unable to look into those knowing brown eyes. Even Jasmine and Mindy, who'd been quiet and pale since Lia had left over an hour before, dared to look at Jaden. He held them all in a thrall with his voice and his eyes, so honest and compelling. They couldn't break away, and even Atticus peeked at the younger boy through the fringe of his bangs.

Jaden himself was still resting against Jesse, who was all but supporting his weight. Though none of the others could see it, the Crystal Beasts sat beside their master, Ruby Carbuncle curled on the connected shoulders of the two Duelists. They made a strange picture, Jaden all covered in red and with the shadows of his bangs threatening to cover his eyes against Jesse's dark blue shirt and serious, steady eyes. The opposite ends of the spectrum, Jesse tense and ready and Jaden languid and apathetic, so unlike his normal self that it made his friends nervous. The restless, angry Jaden was gone, and that was a relief, but in his was this new, immobile Jaden who didn't seem to want to do anything but lay down. He wasn't even sleepy, his eyelids not fluttering or his head hanging heavy against his chest.

He wasn't tired; simply uncaring, unperturbed by the rising anxiety of those around him. It was rather scary, to see him so lethargic, his back pressed to Jesse's chest as the other boy used the arm he had over Jaden's shoulders to keep him upright. Chazz was gritting his teeth at the sight, infuriated by how laid back Jaden was being. It wasn't even his normal (though not so normal now. Jaden had grown up spectacularly in the last year and a half. He'd gone from a no-good Slifer Slacker to a decent student, studying hard and staying awake in class, even forcing himself to take notes in the infamously boring Professor Stein lecture. The slacker had all but gone out of the Slifer, and his perseverance was starting to inspire the other Reds to try hard too. It was remarkable how much of a role model Jaden was, but in his most secret heart of hearts, Chazz wasn't surprised. After all, it was Jaden Yuki they were talking about.) slacking attitude. This was different, more mature and yet more immature. It was as if nothing mattered, as if Jaden just didn't care about what happened to them and the rest of the world.

No, that wasn't it.

Chazz narrowed his eyes. It wasn't that Jaden didn't care. It was that he wasn't worried. Nothing was fazing him because he didn't see the danger in anything. He was so content to lean against Jesse and watch them argue because there was nothing more pressing than that. Chazz scowled. Arrogance did not look good on Jaden.

As Chazz was pondering, Atticus had lowered his gaze again.

" Jay..." Jaden shifted, staring at Atticus without blinking.

" You've given up." He repeated. He wasn't accusing the older boy of anything, but Atticus flinched as though he was. With pleading eyes, he shot a look at Jaden.

" Try...Try..." He fumbled. " ...Please try to understand. After everything that's happened to us since the year started...after everything we've seen and experienced...Jaden, how can we possibly win?"

Jaden laughed. He laughed and let his head fall back so that it rested on Jesse's shoulder. The other boy flushed at the movement, but didn't shove Jaden off. Jaden went on, laughing so softly that it seemed like he wasn't being offensive at all, even though he was. Atticus had gone very still, starting at Jaden in helpless shock.

" 'How can we possibly win'?" The younger boy rolled his eyes. Anger slid, hot and heavy, down Chazz's throat but he couldn't bring himself to speak. Jaden was looking at them again, looking at them with those spell-binding eyes, and silence was forced upon them like a muzzle.

"Simple." Jaden shrugged. " By doing what we always do."

" And what's that?" Atticus rasped. Chazz was surprised that the older boy could speak, but from the strain in his voice, the black Slifer could tell that it was clearly taking everything Atticus had just to voice that one question.

Jaden's face split into a small, but warm grin.

" We fight."

There was another moment of silence, like the one when Jaden had laughed at their fear, and then Chazz was surging to his feet, fury giving him the strength to break whatever power Jaden had over him.

" Damnit Slacker, what the _hell_ do you think we've been _doing_ these past few months? We've done nothing _but_ fight, all of us, at every turn! There's been nothing but fighting this stupid thing from sun-up to sundown and I am sick of it! You're telling us that the only plan you've got is to keep fighting like we've been doing?"

" Chazz..." Syrus said softly, probably trying to calm him down. But Chazz was beyond the point of no return. He was clambering over the seats, purposefully striding to where Jaden was still supported against Jesse, uncaring and languid. Chazz leaned forward until he was right in Jaden's face, the same fury that had spurred him on that day he'd called Jaden a coward lending him strength for yet another confrontation with the younger boy. For his part, Jaden pushed off of Jesse slightly. He looked into Chazz's enraged gray eyes as the older boy snarled into his face.

" We've done nothing but fight, and it hasn't worked! You understand me? It _hasn't worked_! Fighting has gotten us nowhere, unless you're the one fighting!"

Jaden raised a brow.

" Oh?"

" _Yes_!" Chazz roared. " You're the only one who can do anything! I hate saying it and you _know_ I hate saying it, but it's true! If it isn't you, then nothing's gonna get done! The rest of us are useless! We can't fight this thing and hope to win, don't you understand that?"

Jaden pushed away from Jesse. In one fluid movement, he was right before Chazz, almost nose to nose. Chazz jumped back, startled, but Jaden grabbed his shoulder and held him in place, staring into Chazz's eyes so deeply that it was a wonder he wasn't able to read Chazz's thoughts. Perhaps he did, because the next words out of Jaden's mouth were as much a rebuttal to Chazz statements as it was an answer to the black Slifer's unasked questions.

" But you did."

Chazz's face paled.

" Wh-What?"

Jaden was smiling wider now, a warm, proud smile that did something to Chazz. His chest felt tight as he watched Jaden watching him.

" You fought It. You fought the Light with everything that you are, when It was inside of you. You fought so hard and so much."

" Lotta good it did me."Chazz muttered, so low that no one was probably supposed to hear it. But the stadium was deathly silent, and so his whisper echoed. Jaden gave the shoulder under his hand a squeeze.

" You were winning, Chazz."

The black haired boy's head flew up at that, disbelief written on every line of his face, but Jaden plowed forward, not willing to let himself be interrupted before he could explain.

" You were fighting the Light, with so much and so often and you were winning. You were beating It, and that's why It had to try so hard to control you. You're uncontrollable, Chazz."

" But I didn't win!" The black Slifer exploded, staring at Jaden like he couldn't quite see him. " I didn't win and then I...I almost..." He trailed off, pale and sweating.

" Chazz." Jaden put his other hand on his friend's other shoulder and squeezed them both. Chazz flicked his gray eyes up to Jaden's. " Chazz, listen to me. Do you know why that happened? Why the Light did that?"

Slowly, Chazz shook his head. Jaden's eyes became grave.

" Chazz, the Light was going to lose to you. Killing you was the only way to keep you from beating it."

Syrus whipped his head back to stare at Chazz in horror, while Hassleberry was opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish. Atticus was looking gray and haggard, while both Jasmine and Mindy were pale and teary-eyed, looking at Chazz like they wanted to hold him and keep him safe, but were too scared to even move. Even Jesse, the only one besides Jaden who had seen Chazz that day, was wide-eyed as he looked at the older boy.

It had never occurred to Chazz, in those brief moments when his memories had come rushing back to him, that almost dying was a sign of victory. He'd just seen that he'd tried and failed again, had lost when it mattered most, and was still failure. But, with Jaden staring at him, both grave by the revelation and pleased with his accomplishment, Chazz suddenly felt something he hadn't in a long time:

Chazz felt powerful. He felt strong. He finally felt like he and everyone else dedicated to stopping the Light had at least a slim chance. Hope had become a foreign thing to him, and the sensation of it rushing through him made him light-headed.

Jaden nodded as though he could see Chazz's thoughts.

" You forced the Light of Destruction into an ultimatum, Chazz. And even if It had killed you, you would still be the victor. The Light couldn't hold you, do you understand? Do you understand me, Chazz?"Jaden gave him a light shake. " We keep doing what we're doing. We keep fighting until the bitter end. We fight, fall, and then climb back to our feet. We don't give up, because that's the only way the Light wins. It hasn't been winning this year, not really. You forced It to play by your rules. You were the first, the _very first_, to remind It of what it is about humans that It's so afraid of. You made It remember that we aren't that weak. And with every Society member that came after you, the Light had to fight a little more, push a little harder, stretch a little farther, because_ you_ made It nervous."

Jaden was flat out beaming at Chazz. His face was warm and open, no longer the closed off, lethargic creature of earlier. Chazz's own face was flushed, his heart beating hard in his chest and his mind narrowing to tunnel vision in the wake of Jaden's approval. He was stunned because, there, right in front of him, was part of the vision Sartorius had tempted him with months earlier. Jaden's warm eyes looking at Chazz like he was an equal, like Chazz had finally proven himself to be the good man Jaden had always believed his friend was. There, right in front of the black Slifer, was the proof that the Chazz of last year, that the Chazz of most of his life, that cold, cruel creature who'd taken his abusive life out on others, was finally gone, exorcised from Chazz's heart at long last. The light of Jaden's smile broke over him and Chazz found himself unable to stop a small, answering one from appearing on his face.

Jaden was proud of him.

" Chazz Princeton." Jaden gave the shoulders under his hands a firm, friendly squeeze. " You are the absolute pinnacle of human strength."

He stepped back, leaving a blushing Chazz who would deny his flattered expression anytime he was asked about the moment. Jaden himself closed his eyes and let his head fall back, basking in something unknown. At his side, Winged Kuriboh appeared. The spirit rubbed against Jaden's cheek in a show of affection, Jaden threading his fingers into the monster's fur to pet him. He stayed there for a moment, no doubt looking like he was stroking thin air to those without the Gift. Then he lowered his head again, dislodging the Kuriboh from him as he did so, and fixed all of them, even Jesse who'd moved out from behind him, with a weighty gaze. Each of the group gulped, save Chazz, feeling as though they were being judged by something. After a moment, Jaden blinked and grinned at them; the same, uplifting grin he'd given to Chazz.

" You're all so strong, and it's because of that that I realized it's time for me to stop sheltering you." He nodded at Chazz. " I was too scared before. I didn't want you...either of you...it would've hurt you both so bad to remember..."

" You took away our memories?" Chazz asked, incredulous. He'd known that Jaden had a certain gift, but he'd never imagined it to such an extent.

Jaden shook his head.

" Not...not in the way you think. I can't really explain it. I don't remember it all very much. Well," he laughed to himself, " I do and I don't. It's all very hard to explain, but I didn't fight it when the Light left and the trauma made the both of you repress it."

" The both of-"He gaped. "Alexis!"

" What?"Atticus squawked as he leapt to his feet. He glared accusingly at Jaden. What did you do to my sister, Jaden?"

Jaden sighed.

" The same thing I did to Chazz, Atty. I unrepressed her memories of her time as a member of the Society of Light."

As Atticus slumped into his seat at the news, Syrus piped up, having fallen silent as Jaden spoke with Chazz.

" But...Jay...since when..." The smaller boy stumbled for words. " ...How can you do that? Since when could you do it?"

" Dunno."Jaden was shoving his hands into the pockets of his red jacket, looking at the top of the stairs. " It just seemed like a good idea."

" But...Alexis..."Atticus protested weakly from where he was sitting. Jaden shook his head.

" I realized that I've been underestimating you all, trying to shield you all without ever giving you the chance to prove yourselves. I've been trying to protect you without thinking about your feelings. I haven't given a thought to how strong you all are, and I'm sorry about that." He smiled his blinding smile at them all.

" From now on, I promise to believe in all of you, like you believe in me."

Then he started up the stairs, a determined look on his features. He paused, however, when Atticus called out to him, a note of fear in his voice.

" Jaden, wait!"Atticus was standing again, looking harried and scared. Jaden glanced at him over his shoulder. Syrus ignored them both, already shuffling out of his seat to chase after Jaden. Hassleberry's face was scrunched up in thought as he tried to decide whether or not to follow Syrus' lead. Chazz was where Jaden had left him, looking pensively up at the ceiling. Jasmine and Mindy were huddling close together, Jasmine looking frightened and Mindy oddly calm, watching Jaden through impassive eyes. Jesse was huddled up with his Beasts, each of them looking at Jaden with awe, as Jesse tried fruitlessly to get them to tell him what was happening.

Atticus alone was standing, and he looked at Jaden like he didn't quite know what to make of the younger boy.

" Lexi, she's...How can you be so sure that this is okay? The Light hurt her so bad, what if she can't handle it? What if she can't handle knowing what the Light really did to her?"

" You mean the Light she_ forced out_ of her body?"

Turning his head so his friends wouldn't see his smirk, Jaden decided to leave it at that, ignoring the way Jasmine suddenly started screaming after him, begging him to explain, just one tiny bit, what had happened in that duel with Prince Ojin. He kept walking as her pleas echoed through the stadium, and stopped only long enough to call out to Chazz.

" Hey Chazz?"

"What, Slacker?"Chazz had to raise his voice to be heard over the din Jasmine was making in her fright-induced rage.

" Win this tournament, will ya?"

A beat of silence, in which Syrus and Hassleberry caught up to him and Jesse gave up trying to coax an answer out of the Crystal Beasts. Jasmine railed one last time, but Mindy could be heard quietly trying to pacify her. Behind him, Jaden could feel Chazz smirk.

" Yeah, yeah, get going, would ya?"

Jaden nodded, walking off and knowing without looking that Syrus and Hassleberry were with him.

" Yep, places to be and crazies to beat. See ya."

He was out the door and down the hall by the time anyone seemed to realize that he was gone. Jaden walked with purpose, his gaze fixated on what was in front of him, his mind abuzz with cards and moves he could use to finally duel the entity possessing Aster's friend. Syrus was stoic at his side, looking more like his brother than anyone would admit. Hassleberry was bouncing restlessly behind them, his eyes sharp and almost reptilian, itching for a fight, with cards or not. Their energy swirled around them, an almost palpable thing. Jaden felt them at each of his sides, his loyal friends, following him to the Gates of Hell. Gone was the shaking Syrus of their first year. Gone was the boastful bully Hassleberry had been in September. In their places were a pair of warriors, ready and willing to fight. The idea of marching onto a battlefield (and it was one. Sartorius was the enemy and Jaden was leading his army of cards and spirits and strange, unbelievable powers.) with those two at his side warmed Jaden considerably.

He stopped just short of the exit of the main building. Syrus and Hassleberry paused too, looking at him in confusion.

" Was there something you guys needed?" He asked without preamble. Behind him, Jesse took a step forward while Mindy clasped her hands in front of her.

"Jay, Ah'm commin' with ya." Jesse said, walking until he was right in front of Jaden. The Slifer smiled.

" If you want to."

" You sure you're up for this?" Syrus, surprisingly, asked. Jesse gave him a look.

" Whaddya mean, 'up for it'? 'Course Ah am. This is the sorta thahng Duelists dream about. One way or 'nother, Ah'm commin' with you guys." He gave them a challenging smirk. " Jus' you _trah_ an' stop me."

" Fine, but try not to lose your head, will ya?" Syrus agreed with a sigh. As the blue haired boy proceeded to explain to Jesse just what would make him lose his head, Jaden turned to the still calm Mindy.

" Min?"

She shook her dark head.

" I told Jazz I'd ask you about what happened to you and us back there, but honestly, I don't think I want to know."

Jaden blinked, surprised by her answer. Mindy smiled at his surprise.

" I just want you to win and come back safe, okay?"

Jaden's puzzled expression changed to one of understanding. He reached out and pushed a stray lock of hair out of Mindy's eyes.

" Alright." He patted her head, and turned back to where Syrus and Jesse had started arguing about how well Jesse did under pressure.

" Jaden." He glanced at her again. She was looking at his hands, not quite frowning, but not smiling either. He motioned for her to continue, and she followed the way his hands moved. " That thing that you did...I don't necessarily think it's bad."

There was a moment, a moment in which all background noise faded and Mindy's determined look made up the world, where Jaden felt that something within him swell again with a light, airy feeling. Without realizing it, he'd moved forward to touch her brow, his finger light and insubstantial as gossmar.

" _And from thine eyes, I will wash all lies._" He whispered, and Mindy's face went slack as the power drifted over her. Jaden's smile when she looked at him again was not entirely his own. He clapped her on the shoulder.

" I'll be fine." He promised and turned to where his friends waited for him. Mindy watched him go, for the first time feeling certain of the victory that was shining in Jaden's gold-brown eyes.

* * *

" He did _what_?" Alexis shrieked. Above her, Sheppard winced at the levels her voice managed to achieve.

" He...dove from the helicopter...and into the White Dorm..." The Chancellor restated, flinching back as Alexis' face went dark with anger again.

" That stubborn, thrill-happy, idiotic..." She grumbled through gritted teeth. Turning towards the White Dorm, she noticed a broken window several stories up. With an unerring sense of being right, she knew that Aster was running around the Dorm, looking for his friend. And with that same sense, she knew someone had followed him in.

She took off running, cursing them both under her breath so violently that she completely forgot about Sheppard hanging helplessly in the tree.

" Oh yeah." She hissed to herself as she ran. " You don't like him _at all_, do you Kitten?"

* * *

Because it's true. Chazz is the strongest he's ever been, right now.

He BEAT the Light of Destruction. I don't care what anyone says or how canon goes. In this universe, Chazz met the Light of Destruction head on, and he backed It into a corner, and he forced Its hand. It might have tried to kill him, but by doing that, It admitted that Chazz had the stronger will. That death was the only way the Light could control him. And if you're wondering how what Jaden called 'an apocalyptic god' could be bested by a human, let me just say that in my universe, there are rules in place that level the playing field. Rules they have to abide by, but we don't.

I like this chapter, because I finally get to give Chazz his props.

Lia: Not that he really deserves any.

Quiet you, I'm praising. Anywho, yeah, Chazz is finally able to be really proud of himself in this chapter. Whether or not he wins the GX Tournament (and he does), he BEAT the Light, and that means even more coming from Jaden. Chazz has finally done what he's always wanted: he's made Jaden proud of him.

And Jaden has realized that his friends are so much stronger than he thought they were. He can trust them to fight, something he hasn't wanted to do before. This will come back later, both positively, and negatively.

So will Atticus. Because how, exactly, is he supposed to protect people who can fight for themselves?

And, oh boy, Jesse's coming along.

Lia: You and your Spiritshipping.

I can't HELP it! I just CAN'T. I write them, and it comes out like that! It always does!

Lia: It gets worse.

I could argue that, but I won't.

Lia: You've got nothing, have you?

Not a thing. They're just...and they...so touchy...GAH!

Lia: Fujoshi.

You've been hanging around Jaden again.

Lia: I always hang around Jaden. I never STOP hanging around Jaden!

Except when you hang around Aster.

Lia: ...I will CUT you in your sleep.

You're a part of my mind, how?

Lia: I will force my way into reality through anger and vengeance alone.

...Somehow, I believe you. So that's my cue to run. See you all in the next chapter!

Lia: Get back here!

*from a distance* No way!

MoS


	56. Falling Dreams

Warning: Angst. All of the angst. And Aster!angst to boot. Also Lia. And brief moments without a shirt.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

Aster leaned against the wall, more shaken then he'd like to admit by the fall. His heart was pounding in his chest and his vision was starting to blur. He could barely keep himself upright, and as he leaned against the nearby wall for support, he felt sweat trickle down the side of his face. He half raised his hand to brush it away, but the gesture took too much out of him and the hand fell back to dangle at his side. Panting, he admitted defeat, and slumped to the ground in a heap.

He made enough effort to at least retain a little dignity, falling so that his back was against the wall, his arm resting on his bent knee, the other leg straight out in front of him. Finally comfortable (or as comfortable as someone could be in a room full of broken glass and a storm brewing outside of a shattered window), he let his head fall, his chin against his chest. Then he closed his eyes.

He wished he hadn't, because the second he did, he was assaulted with the gruesome image of his father's face, imprinted in the skin, slowly emerging from the inside of Plasma, the wings stretched tight over all those faces, their sobs of pain echoing in that empty chamber...

Aster's eyes flew open, and he buried his fingers in his hair in an attempt to yank the memory from his mind. Or at least, he would have, had his left arm not seized up with pain, forcing him to drop it once more. Glancing down, he hissed a curse as he noticed a large spot of red slowly growing just below his shoulder. A similar pain was shooting through his side, and without even looking, he knew there was a shallow gash there. He'd felt it as he'd landed on the floor in a back roll, but had hoped to simply ignore it until his business with Sartorius was complete. Apparently, it just wasn't his lucky day.

With another hissed curse, Aster let his head fall back against the wall with a painful sounding 'thud'. He repeated the action, the pain in his arm throbbing in time with that in his head. The weight of the situation was finally starting to settle in his mind, and his chest was painfully seizing up with anxiety and fear. Everything he'd learned over the past year seemed to be for nothing, because Sartorius was still in danger and Aster had no idea of how to save him. He was lost in an ocean of lies and drowning as each second went by. All around him was murky blackness without a hint of where to go or what to do and, for the first time since his father had died, Aster felt like giving up.

It was a horrible realization. That everything he'd worked so hard for his entire life was over, with nothing but an empty promise he'd made lingering in the air. The would be no fanfare, no long awaited trial, not even the satisfaction of knowing he'd made his father proud, in whatever heaven he was watching Aster from. All Aster had to show for all his trouble was a bleeding arm, a gash on his side that was sluggishly staining his suit red, and his entire childhood smashed to bits before his very eyes. Aster felt sick at the very thought of it, but there it was.

Everything he'd ever stood for was a lie, because the one person who'd always pushed him forward had been lying to him his whole life. And if the D was a liar, then who was to say that Sartorius hadn't lied? That the psychic had known all along that Aster was doomed to fail at everything he tried, but the man was Aster's best friend and had wanted to give him some hope. Maybe that long ago card reading _had_ been wrong, and the only thing Aster was destined for was mediocrity. Did it even matter anymore? Sartorius was beyond him, his father was gone, and the murderer had been right in front of him all along, pulling the wool over his eyes with kind words and a fake, fatherly smile.

And that was what hit Aster so hard that he couldn't move. It wasn't the pain in his arm or the throb at his side or even the blinding headache that had started to form from the moment he'd escaped the D's ship. What really kept him down, what held him to the floor was not anything external, but the deep scar of betrayal within his chest.

The D had lied to him.

The D had been lying to him his whole life.

The D had killed his father, and taken Aster in, and Aster had made a fool of himself trying to find the killer, never knowing he was sitting across the dinner table.

His stomach churned at the thought.

He'd eaten dinner with his father's killer. He'd gone to amusement parks with his father's killer. He'd taken the man to parent's day at school, posed for a photo with him in his graduation cap and diploma when he'd gotten his double major, even talked about girls to the man who had taken his father from him. He'd let the man who killed his father _become_ his father, and Aster was ready to throw up as the fact sunk in.

And now, he was alone again. There would be no one waiting for him when he got home. Sartorius was possessed by the Light of Destruction, Sarina was aimlessly floating around in cyberspace, helpless, and the D was dead, burnt by the fire that had consumed his ship (at least, Aster hoped he was dead. He really hoped. Because if he wasn't, if the D was still alive, then Aster didn't know what he'd do. A part of him, a very large part, was still crying for blood and vengeance and hate, but there was another, much smaller part that remembered giving the D his report card and smiling when he got an affectionate pat on the head for his good grades. Despite it all, despite everything the D had done to him, Aster couldn't erase the memories of growing up with the man. He couldn't erase the tiny part of him that had truly believed, for a little while, that the D was his father). The house would be empty, as empty as the apartment had been on that black night when he was a child. It would be as empty as it was when he was little and coming home, his father still at work and his mother gone, disappeared to where he couldn't find her.

It would be as empty as this very room, covered in glass shards and bereft of his last chance.

He wasn't going to find Sartorius. It wouldn't do any good. He'd just fail again and disappoint someone else. As much as he couldn't bear the thought of his oldest friend in danger, he also couldn't bring himself to move. It was pointless, as it had always been, he realized. It had all been pointless from the beginning, a worthless pipe dream of a depressed kid who couldn't deal with losing his father. He couldn't save anyone. He couldn't even save himself, so how had he deluded himself into believing that he could save Sartorius? He couldn't even tell when someone was lying to his face. He wasn't a hero. He'd never been one, no matter how much he liked to play vigilante. He was just desperately trying to make up for being a failure and losing his father at such a young age.

Well, he had lost his father again tonight, hadn't he? He'd lost his father, the D, and Sartorius in one fell swoop. In one night, he'd lost everything he loved. His head ached and tears started to gather in his eyes. And he was going to cry. Fantastic. He might as well just curl up here and wait to shrivel away, for all the good he was going to do. The blind desire that had made him jump from the helicopter had vanished the second he realized he'd just been seeing things and all that there was was an empty room. Tears prickled at the corner of his eyes, and he rested his head in the hand of his good arm, still balanced on his bent knee. Sighing a long, depressed sigh, Aster resigned himself to sitting alone in the dark as the storm outside broke, hoping that no one would find him.

" _Aster_!"

His head shot up, a look of shock on his face as Lia crashed into the room.

He'd been struck by her at several points. When she'd walked out into the rain to get him back, and looked at him like she understood absolutely _everything_, he hadn't been able to take his eyes off of her. When she'd sat at his small table, hours later, and smiled at him, her eyes warm, he'd finally realized exactly how pretty she was. When she'd looked at him days ago, the sun in her hair and in her eyes and under her skin until she glowed softly, he'd been mesmerized, unable to look away for even a second, irresistibly drawn to her as though she were a magnet and he was a lump of metal. While he was always aware of Lia in one way or another, there were moments when she so captivated him that Aster felt a little scared of the power she had over him.

As she skidded to kneel beside him, having hopped gracelessly over the broken glass, he found himself again entranced. She had avoided the storm outside, because she was mostly dry, though her hair was puffed out a little from the humidity of the gathering rain. She was dressed in her shorts and white shirt, but he was staring into her face, the worried lines traced across it and the way her eyes glittered with concern.

" Oh mon Dieu, tu purges !" She gasped, her hands fluttering over the wound on his arm like startled birds. Aster watched as she shrugged out of her white top, the green camisole underneath riding up a little over her stomach as she pulled herself free of the shirt. She was slight and slender, he noticed, focusing in on her to ignore the pain shooting through him when she pressed her fingers tentatively on his arm. She muttered something foreign and rolling, and leaned closer to get a better look. He let his eyes follow the column of her throat, and, despite his misery, turned bright red as he realized that the angle she was at afforded him a peek at the shadowy valley that her breasts formed beneath her shirt. Horrified by his own traitorous eyes, he quickly raised them, and froze.

There was a strange mark on her collarbone, not obscured by the filmy lace that was sewed on the edge of her camisole. It was round, about the size of a quarter, perhaps a little bigger. The skin there was slightly pinker than the rest of her body, and surrounded by a thin ring of darker flesh. Aster, having never seen anything below the nape of Lia's neck, frowned as he studied the mark. There was something flecked around it, a dried, dusty something that looked awfully familiar.

" Enlèves ta chemise, s'il-t-plait." Aster blinked. Lia blinked back, and then realized that she must've spoken in French. She coughed to cover up her embarrassment.

" Sorry?" Aster tried, and then mentally jumped at how rough and raw his voice sounded.

" 'S'not your fault." She said, still not looking at him. When he prompted her to speak, she coughed again, and focused on the wound on his arm. " Take off your shirt."

" _What_?" His eyes bugged out. Lia went equally as red, but stood her ground, glaring up at him out of her tomato face. He stared back at her, incredulous, his own face burning. Finally, Lia broke away with a huff, crossing her arms.

" And 'ow do y' expect moi t' git a gud look at zat t'ing eef y' will nut remove y'r shirt, hmm?" She argued, unaware of how thick her accent had become.

" Umm..." Aster wasn't quite sure he had understood her, but it didn't matter. Lia's patience, which had never been her strong suit, vanished and she darted forward, pulling the buttons of his suit jacket out of their buttonholes with a scary ease.

" Hey! What the hell?" He tried to go back, but was stopped by the wall he was propping himself up on. Lia continued to fiddle with his buttons, eventually shoving the fabric of his jacket off of his shoulders, and starting in on his black dress shirt. He struggled again, but she cut off his protests with a dark glare.

" You can either help me get this off of you, or we can do this the hard way."

Aster gulp, partly because of the threat and partly because, no matter how much he was hurting, no matter how miserable his life looked at the moment, it was still Lia and she was still all but on top of him and she was still as beautiful in her anger as she had been the night he'd beaten Jaden. She could still flare up to a goddess in his eyes, still stupefy his senses and make him blind to the rest of the world. In fact, it was only as she pressed a little too hard against the cut on his side that he was jolted from his musings.

He hissed as he was painfully reminded of the other wound, and Lia looked down to find the palm of her hand red.

" You idiot!" She lifted the edge of his black shirt. She winced at the cut she found. " You never do anything by halves, do you?"

" Can't. 'Ve always had a flare for the dramatic." Aster tried to laugh it off, but the motion jostled his side. " Ow."

" Ow is right." Lia reached for her discarded white shirt. " Get yourself out of that." With a single-minded ferocity, she began to yank at the seams of the hoodie, pulling it apart.

" You don't have to do that." Aster protested as he gingerly pried the shirt off. Looking down at the cut, it looked worse than it was, bleeding sluggishly and not as deep as he'd thought. It would leave an ugly scar, though.

" Oh yes I do. What else are we gonna use for bandages?" She'd successfully torn the arms off, and was fishing for something in her short's pocket.

" Well," he gritted his teeth against the cold wet air in the room, " we could use my shirt. Easier to rip."

" Please." She snorted, and he watched with wide eyes as she pulled a jack knife from her pocket and began slicing the sleeves into strips. " You wanna walk around half naked?"

" Where'd you get that knife?" He asked in disbelief. Lia paused and looked at the tool.

" I got it after I got out of the hospital. There is way too much freaky shit going on around here, so I decided I needed _some_ way to protect myself. Now, you had better hope that there is no glass in those cuts, because I have no idea how to find it in this light. Honestly, does the Society not pay its electricity bill o—r...what..."

She trailed off as she turned to look at him. Aster, carefully inspecting his wounds, didn't notice, too focused on the potential problem she'd brought up.

" No," he said at last, unaware of her silence, " I don't think any glass got in there. I didn't feel any get in, if that means anything. So." He looked up at her with a grin. " Patch me up, doc."

Only Lia didn't move to do so. She was staring, slack jawed at him, like she'd never seen him before. Acutely aware of the long night and the emotional duress he was under, Aster squirmed uncomfortably. She dragged her eyes up and down him, lingering on his torso. Aster wondered for a second if she was looking for more cuts, but the blush on her cheeks suggested something else. It came to Aster, as a fork of lightning streaked across the dark sky outside, that Lia had probably never seen a guy so undressed before. Suddenly aware of both himself and her, Aster was torn between teasing her for staring and being embarrassed by her scrutiny. He settled for embarrassed, because he really didn't think he had it in him to tease her at the moment, not with everything that had happened.

" Uh, Lia?"

She jumped.

" Huh? Oh, yes, patching. Right, of course. L-Lift up your arms, please." It was adorable that she was flustered enough to say please. He did as she instructed, and say still, watching her carefully wind the strips of white cloth around his mid section. After she'd run out, she started hacking off the hood of the top, pulling the string out as she went. The cut on his side was even shallower than he'd thought, Lia have dabbed away the blood with another part of the shirt. Once all the mess was gone, Aster could see that it was really only a medium-sized cut that didn't go very deep and only really bleed enough to make him nervous in his already depressed state. He thanked his lucky stars that he wasn't as badly hurt as he'd thought. Still, the thought of stars made him think of Sartorius, and the depression began to creep back into his mind. As Lia started to clean away the blood on his arm, she noticed his mouth curve into a sad frown and his eyes go glazed over.

" Hey. What's wrong?" She dabbed at the cut, which was similar to the one on his side. A lot of blood, but not a deep wound. Aster shook his head, turning away from her.

" It's nothing."

" Is not." She said childishly.

" Really, Lia, nothing you need to worry about."

" So it's something then." Aster cursed his slip-up when he heard the triumph in her voice. " C'mon Aster, I'm already playing nurse here. You might as well unload your mental problems on me too. Not that we'll be able to get through them all in one session, given what I know about you." She joked weakly, reaching for the string to use to hold the make-shift bandage in place.

Aster didn't laugh. He couldn't laugh, because she was right. More than anyone, except Sartorius and Sarina, Lia knew him. She knew about his father. Not just about his death, but the manner of his death; how he'd been fished out of the river, how Aster loved German Shepperds because of it, how all he really wanted was to prove to himself that his father's death had some _meaning _to it. Lia knew about losing a father, knew about how much it hurt to see them in pictures and home movies, how much it stung to know that there were a million things that could never be asked, never be said, never be talked about. Lia knew how to bear that pain, how to mask it and hide behind anger and cruelty. And she knew how to let that mask go, how to find someone who would just listen and let that pain come out into the open where it could be dealt with.

Lia knew him, knew him differently than Jaden or Sarina or anyone else. Lia knew the very depth of the chasm that was at the very center of him, the great, gaping hole in his heart that was for his father. She knew because he'd let her see it, that day in the rain. She knew because she'd shown him what was at the very depth of her, all her thorns and steel thrown aside to show the scared, scarred little girl who only wanted someone to look at her.

Lia knew him.

She would _understand._

" It was the D." H whispered as she sat back on her heels, admiring her handiwork. Outside, the wind howled and thunder crashed as the storm broke over Academy Island in full force. He could feel her eyes move to look at his face, but he refused to look at her, instead opting to fix his gaze on the arm on his bent knee.

" I'm sorry?"

" It was the D." He said again, louder. His heart was hammering in his chest, a painful, thudding lump of lead against his ribs. He heard her shift closer. He squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to see the look of confusion on her face, because it would mirror his own from earlier on that boat. " All this time, it's been him."

" Aster, I don't understand. The D is what-"

" Damnit Lia!" He faced her, his eyes blazing despite his heartbreak, his face flushed with anger and shame. Silently, he pleaded with her to understand, because he needed her to. He need her, before anyone else, to understand what he was saying. " It was the D! It's always been the D! From the very beginning he...he was...it was _him_..."

He saw the moment she caught on. The way her eyes widened, the way her mouth hung open just a little, the way she paled as she remembered the flirty, charismatic man she'd seen on that computer screen. He could almost see the gears in her head turning faster as she connected his words with their intended meaning. Her hands flew up to cover her mouth, a horrified gasp ripped from them.

" Oh mon Dieu." She breathed. Aster nodded, turning away again, letting her have her revelation.

" Yeah, exactly. This whole time...my _whole life_..." He clenched the fist of his uninjured arm. But just as quickly as it had come, the anger drained out of him and he was bereft of anything but the sense of worthlessness that had plagued him since he'd entered the room.

" God." He breathed, his head connecting with the wall again. " I am such a fuck up. I can't do anything, can I?"

" What are you talking about?"

He laughed without mirthlessly.

" I couldn't find my father's murderer when he was right in front of me. I couldn't save Sartorius from the evil that he warned me about _years _ago." He pressed his forehead against the wrist that was on his knee. " And now, I'm gonna break my promise to my father by not going after the Light of Destruction."

" Aster, you aren't making any sense."

" Don't you get it, babe? I'm _done_." He bit out more harshly than he'd intended to. Lia sat very still, staring at him as lightning crackled and reflected off of the broken shards of glass.

" Done?" She said at last, her voice small compared to the roar of thunder outside. Aster nodded, not having the strength to speak. Somehow voicing it made it so much more real than it had been. Making his decision had been one thing, but saying it aloud, acknowledging it...it only made him feel sicker, that awful coil in his stomach twisting tighter as he realized what a coward he was.

" You...You're giving up?"

He closed his eyes, fully prepared to watch Lia scream at him and then storm away, dismissing him forever.

" _You're_ giving _up_?"

He shut his eyes tighter, because he didn't want to see it. He didn't want to see her realize what a failure he was, to watch her walk away from him. He didn't want to watch himself lose her as well, because of his own lack of power and strength. He held himself silent against the thousand protests that rang into his mind, a thousand thousand different ways to plead his case to her, to ask her to stay, to beg her to lend him some of the strength she and her band of friends possessed. It was better that he admit to being a failure now, before he got so far in over his head that he caused some real damage with his bravado and delusions of grandeur.

He wasn't the hero. He wasn't the protagonist either. If Aster was completely honest with himself, he wondered if he was even part of the story.

His melancholy musing was brought to an abrupt halt as a pair of hands clamped onto his shoulder and whipped him up to face a pair of furious, but not damning, eyes. Lia hovered over his for a moment, her eyes ablaze like stars swelling with the last dregs of life, her pale face a shining beacon in the dark of the room. Aster met her gaze, unable to look away, hypnotized by the gathering storm in her eyes, just as fierce as the one that raged outside.

Then the stars in her eyes exploded into supernovas and the back of her hand connected with his cheek with a vicious _crack_.

His head flew to the side. The stinging of his face broke through the numbness that had settled one him, and as he tentatively turned back to face her, he cupped the abused flesh, wide-eyed but not overly surprised.

What did surprise him was Lia hauling him up to his feet, standing him roughly with a jerky, unrefined movement. She ducked around him to grab his dress shirt, shaking it free of the few raindrops that had managed to splatter onto the floor of the room. She shoved the article of clothing into his free hand, and started walking towards the curtain at the far end of the room. Aster watched her, not quite sure of what was happening.

" Well?" She called back as she shoved the curtain aside with far more force then was necessary. " Hurry up and get dressed so we can get a move on."

Carefully, Aster slipped the shirt on, trying not to aggravate his wounds.

" Where are we going?"

Lia rolled her eyes.

" We're going after Sartorius so you can finally talk some sense into that nutcase and put an end to this."

" Did you not hear me before? I'm done." Aster said blankly. Lia went very still before whipping around, the supernova in her eyes still alive and blazing.

" No." She said simply, and stuck her head into the room behind the curtain, looking around. Aster gaped at her.

" What do you mean, 'no'?"

" I _mean_, no. You're not doing this. You do not get to come this far and then cop out at the last minute. Now get over here and help me figure out where your batshit friend got off to."

" Lia. This won't do any good. I...I _can't_..."

She stomped over to him them, and grabbed the unbuttoned sides of his shirt. Hauling him forward so that he stood nose to nose with her, she glared fiercely up at him, only the fire in her eyes hiding the tears glimmering beneath it.

" The _hell _you can't." She whispered into the charged air of the room. " You are _not_ doing this, Phoenix. Not now. Not when you're so close to the finish line that you can reach out and touch it. You have been running this race your whole life and you are _damn well _going to finish it, am I _clear_?"

She thrust him away from her and started towards the curtain again. When he didn't jump to follow her, her hand snapped out and grabbed his wrist, hauling him along after her like a misbehaving child. The sudden shift almost sent him tumbling over, and while he fought to regain his balance, Lia dragged through the curtain and into a small room.

" Hey Lia-! Wait a sec! I already told, I c-"

" If you say the word 'can't' again, I'll jam that duel disk you're holding right down your throat."

With a jolt, Aster realized that he'd instinctively grabbed his duel disk as Lia as pulled him after her. The familiar weight was painful now, a reminder of his failures and-

Lia snapped her fingers in front of his face, making his look at her.

" Don't you do this, Aster. Don't you dare. Not after everything you've been through. Not after everything that's happened this year. Don't you _dare_ quit now."

" What does it matter?" Aster asked, half in misery and half in frustration. " We all know what'll happen if I just sit down and wait for this to end." Lia raised a brow, but he plowed right ahead, his heart beating out a sorrowful rhythm in his chest. " Jaden'll come rushing in and save the day just like he always does and-"

She slapped him again, a normal, open palm slap across this other cheek. It still hurt though.

" Ow! Would you stop _doing_ that? It hurts!"

" I will as soon as you stop _dumping_ your problems on Jaden's shoulders! Don't you think he has enough to deal with?"

' Of course.' Aster thought as he looked into her teary eyes. ' Jaden. That's what's going on here. It's Jaden she's worried about. It's always been Jaden, even from the very beginning.' He growled to himself and looked away from her, jealousy clawing at his chest.

" Don't you think you should take some action here? Don't you think that-"

" I know, okay?" He exploded, jealous and hurt and so angry at everything. " I know all that, but Jaden's the hero, alright? Jaden's the hero, and that means that he'll save the day and make everything go back to the way it was, and you can go hang out with him again and I'll leave and never come back! But the point is that I _can't. Do. __**Anything**__._" He leaned back against the table, defeated. " I'm not the hero here, Lia. Can't you see that?"

For a moment, it seemed like she did. She was certainly quiet enough to make him think she was agreeing. But then she was darting forward, prying the duel disk out of his hands. He scrambled back, fearful that he'd finally pushed her too far, and she wanted a proper weapon with which to bash his head in, but Lia was clutching the thing to her chest, her lips pulled back in a snarl.

" Fine!" She roared. " Fine! You wanna stay here and mope while the world burns, then be my guest. But I am _not_ gonna just walk away. I didn't search every room of this damned building just to let you wallow in self pity. If you won't fight, then I will!"

Clumsily, she tried to attach the duel disk to her arm. Aster watched her, not sure what to think.

" What are you doing?" He ventured at length, watching her struggle with the arm bands of the machine.

" What does it look like?" She wrenched the thing onto her wrist and set about trying to be make sure it stayed there. " I'm going to save your friend."

It took a second for her words to register. When they did, his eyes went wide as saucers.

" You can't _duel_!" He shouted. Lia shot him a sour look.

" I can try."

" You don't know the _first thing_ about dueling!"

" I'll learn as I go!"

" You'll get yourself killed!" He took a half-step towards her, but Lia froze him in place with an icy glare.

" At least I'm doing something! It's better than sitting here and whining like you're doing!"

" My whole life has been a lie! The D killed my father, and I didn't know it! The D was my everything and he was the one that _took everything _from me when I was little!" He snapped, his temper worn thin. Luckily, Lia was equal to it.

" And the Light's about to take Sartorius away from you too if you don't stop crying!"

" Why do you even _care_?" He snarled back, pushed past the point of endurance. " You don't even _like_ Sartorius! Why are you _doing_ this?"

" Because you love him you dumbass!"

That stopped him.

In the silence that stretched between them, the storm howled outside. A surge of lightning cut the sky clean in two, and the lights finally came back on. The room came alive with harsh, white light, and all around them, the lamps lit up Lia's determined face. But more than that, Aster could finally see her clearly. She was shaking, though she tried to hide it. Every inch of her trembled with the prospect of facing Sartorius, and Aster could see the fading bruises on her neck as clear as if they were bands of iron wrapped around her throat.

" You're scared." He said, reaching for her.

" Don't be stupid." She grumbled, but didn't deny it. Aster let his hand curl around the duel disk hanging precariously off of her wrist.

" Why are you doing this if you're so scared?"

Lia bit her lip, and looked down at her shoes, refusing to meet his eyes.

" Because it means so much to you." She whispered. Aster's heart stopped beating.

" What?" His voice was equally quiet. Lia shook her head from side to side, brown curls bouncing around her shoulders.

" Aster...Sartorius is...I mean, to you he's..." She peeked at him through her bangs. " I can't just...let you go through with this. After everything you've been through...if you let yourself falter now, you'll hate yourself forever. And besides..."

Aster opened his mouth to say something in rebuttal, but found he had not words. Not when she was looking at him like that, all tender and fierce and beautiful, even in the cruel light around them. She stole his breath with that look, held his heart still with her pale hands, her hair all the darker against them and her eyes all the brighter. The supernova had faded and was slowly forming a new star from the remains of the old. Her eyes were shining as she finally allowed herself to look at him fully, and the sight of them rendered Aster dumb.

" I can't let you lose anyone else. That's something _I_ can't do. Even if...even if...You're not the hero..." A shaking hand reached out to touch the one he had on this duel disk. It was cold and clammy with fear.

" Even if you're not the hero, you're a good person Aster. And I can't let you get hurt again. I've hurt so many people and said so many bad things, and I just..."

She shook her head again, and smiled sadly at him.

" I won't let you do this to yourself. You, out of anyone, deserve to get a little back for everything you've had to give up. So." She touched the cards in the slot on the disk. The image of her, gently pressing his Destiny Heroes against her heart, calling on their strength to guide her, was forever burned into his mind. Her eyes were steel as he was drawn back to them, and for a second, he thought he was back in the duel arena, facing down Jaden.

" If you won't fight for Sartorius, Aster, then I'll just have to fight for you."

And then she whipped around, darting down the passage way that he hadn't noticed had opened. He gaped after her for a moment or two, and then took off.

' I'm in love with her.' He thought to himself as he ran. ' I'm in love with this reckless, stupid, stubborn girl. I'm in love with passionate, brave, _perfect_ girl, and I can't lose her. I _won't_ lose her.'

" Hey Lia, wait up!"

" Damnit." He heard her whisper. " That would've been _so_ much more dramatic if the door locked behind me."

He caught up to her with ease, throwing an arm around her to make her stop walking. She glanced at him through her bangs, and Aster stared accusingly at the duel disk still improperly attached to her arm.

" You can't duel." She bristled. " No Lia, I mean it. You'll be killed. You know what the Light made Sartorius do to you last time." He looked pointedly at her throat, and heard her frightened intake of breath. " You won't stand a chance. Just give me back my duel disk."

" Aster-"

" No Lia, listen to me. Give me the disk, and I'll fight. I'll fight the Light of Destruction and try to save Sartorius. I'll do everything I can and put my all into as long you give me that disk."

" Aster, what...?"

Finally, he turned her around so that he could place both hands on her shoulders.

" You said that I've had so much taken away from me. Don't ask me to lose something else." He said seriously. " Don't ask me to let you be taken away from me too. If you're willing to fight for me, then let me do the same for you. You don't want me to be hurt? Then don't let me lose you to the Light."

She was blushing. A lot. Her cheeks were ablaze and her eyes were over-bright, and Aster got the distinct impression that no one, not even Jaden, had ever said something like that to her before. Promises of protection she might have received, but no one had ever told her that losing her would be the last straw, that her life factored so much. It was a thrill that sent electricity running through his veins. He would give anything to make her look at him like that again. To always look at him like that. Like he was the only person in the world. As selfish as it was, he wanted that. He wanted to be as important to her as she was to him. He wanted her to look at him like that every day for the rest of his life.

" Y-You...You...Y-Y-You..." She stuttered at a loss for words. Finally, she poked him in the chest, glaring a glare that was destroyed by her red cheeks.

" You idiot, you aren't even dressed!" She began to button up his shirt, her fingers slipping and missing buttonholes as she tried to pretend that he wasn't affecting her. As she worked, Aster watched her with a soft smile, his lips brushing the very top of her head. Slowly, as she worked her way up his torso, Aster slid the duel disk off of her wrist and held it, waiting for Lia to finish so he could put it on. She came to the last button, and left it open, opting instead to fiddle with his collar. As she did so, Aster finally gave into the urge that had been plaguing him since she'd come bounding into the room, looking for him.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her and squeeze, pressing her to him. She squeaked. He could feel the heat of her blush as her face was pressed into his shoulder, but Aster simply buried his own face into the hair at her neck, his arms looped around her shoulders. She trembled a little, but he was certain that it wasn't from fear.

" A-Aster?"

" Maybe what I'm doing it pointless." He said softly into her hair. " Maybe there'll be a miracle, or maybe I'll prove that I'm just the worthless failure I know I am. Who knows?"

" Aster..." She said again, unsure of her own words. Aster gave her a squeeze, pulling her close, trying to fall into her body and find that strength. He needed it; he needed her courage and her stubbornness and her kindness. He needed the steel that had been in her eyes only moments ago. He needed the part of her that was Jaden and the most of her that was Lia and more than anything, he needed _her_, alive and warm and in his arms, reminding him of what he was fighting for.

" Lia, I don't know if what I'm doing means anything. Maybe I'm just setting myself up for another loss. But even if that's true..."

" It's not." She said, and in her tone was the steel he needed. He shushed her.

" Even if it's true...Lia..." He pulled back to look at her face. " ...Lia, if you're with me, then I'll do my best. I'll fight as hard as I can and it won't matter if what I'm doing it meaningless or not in the grand scheme of things. Because if you're there Lia, then it'll have meaning. I don't need a destiny if you'll let me fight for you."

He smiled sweetly at her.

" If you're there, then I'll try and be a hero."

After several false starts, Lia managed to answer.

" 'Kay." She squeaked, her face rosy and her eyes full of stars. Nodding, Aster let her go, save for her hand, and pulled her alongside him down the stairs.

And, Aster thought to himself, it really didn't matter if it was his destiny to save Sartorius or not. He didn't know if he could pull it off. He had a sinking suspicion that he couldn't. He was almost certain that he was going to fail, but he simply couldn't turn back and hide in his self-pity anymore. He might have let his father down and his might still let Sartorius down, but in putting one foot in front of the other, he could at least be certain that there was one person he hadn't let down.

Fear of failing or not, Aster Phoenix was going to fight, because Lia Shanner was willing to do what no one had ever done for him before: she was willing to _fight_ _for him_. Some thought of this novel concept was in his head as he descended the steps. It had taken root when he led them through the door at the end of the tunnel. It was a firm understanding when he shoved Lia behind him and used his body as a buffer between her and Sartorius.

Whether or not he lost he was going to _fight_. Above anything else, he couldn't fail her. He just _couldn't_.

* * *

Because Aster got over his doubts way too fast in the show. And because Jaden doesn't really angst so much as he goes Haou and kicks ass. And Chazz is in a good place, Atticus is too frantic right now, and god only KNOWS where Zane wandered off to. Seeing as how I AM god in this universe, I know, but I'm not telling.

Yet.

And I get to write more Slapshipping. I love that name. Agent Malkere helped come up with it. Slapshipping. It's actually a lot of fun to say. And it sounds so sadistic, which kinda describes their relationship. Well, in the beginning, anyway. Now, not so much.

And hands up, who else just LOVES the part were Lia steals his duel disk? Because I sure as hell do. I didn't even have this part planned out. Aster was just supposed to be really depressed and Lia would fail at giving him a pep talk that would actually work. Instead, we get 'I'll fight for you.' I think I'm romanticizing their relationship a little, especially since they're both only 15, but hey, they have to save the world on a regular basis, so they're kinda screwed up kids.

Adults are really useless, and I have a theory about that for this universe, but that's not coming up until well into the sequel of the 5D's fic. Or fics. Probably fic. I don't know if I can do more than one. It IS card games on motorcycles, after all.

Also, Lia's not in love with him yet, but she COULD be, and that's the important thing.

Anyway, here's some angst. Enjoy the angst muffin. Shit gets real next chapter, then realer the one after that, and then weird AND real the one after that. Enjoy this slower-paced chapter, because I'm about to floor the pedal and not let up until we cross the finish line.

Strap yourselves in, boys and girls, and watch this storm _break_.

MoS


	57. Gathering Troops

Warnings: Lexi is going to be a badass. And I'm uploading this early because dinner is just about done, and I don't want to risk missing the 6 o'clock update.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

It was the strangest thing, but as far as Alexis could tell, the Light was mustering its troops.

Instead of being empty, like she'd hoped, the White Dorm was filled to the brim with members, all of whom looked ready for a fight. Their duel disks were activated, a thousand different little lights blinking in the stark whiteness that had overtaken the Blue Dorms. All of them shifting restlessly; Alexis couldn't tell one face from another. They all blended into one, faceless mass, a twisting, turning bulk of white, not at all comforting like the silvery thing had been. This was a hostile creature, violent and unpredictable. It was a wounded animal, pushed into a corner, and ready to spring. She could almost see the muscles coil in preparation.

Despite the danger at her front, Alexis felt a curl of satisfaction unfurl in her gut. The Light of Destruction was scared. It was scared and puffing out Its chest and trying to act tough. It was scared, and It was overcompensating by drawing all of Its followers together in one place.

It was scared, and they were the cause.

If she hadn't been sure of Jaden's faith in her before, the sight of the gathering in front of her would have skyrocketed her confidence. They had the Light of Destruction nervous, and that as worth all the tournament trophies in the world. Let someone else win the GX Tournament. Let someone else worry about who was the King of Games. Let someone else become the vaulted 'Queen of Obelisk Blue'. Alexis didn't need anything more than what she had before her.

A duel disk on her arm, her monsters in her deck, and the knowledge that she could scare the Light of Destruction.

She activated the disk, ignoring the jeers from her would-be opponents. All she knew was that her instincts had been right, and Lia was somewhere within.

_Alexis growled as a dark haired boy and a redheaded girl moved to block her path._

" _Stop where you are, traitor!" The boy snapped, and Alexis rolled her eyes._

" _Get out of my way."_

" _You really think we'd let someone like __**you**__ back into the heart of our precious sanctuary?" The girl had snarled in response, her duel disk activating. " You and your filthy darkness stay the hell away from us!"_

_At another time, the words and the tone might have just annoyed Alexis more, and spurred her into accepting the challenge the girl was obviously sending her. But it wasn't another time. And Alexis was no longer ignorant of what had happened while she'd been wearing that white uniform. The look of disgusted fury in the girl's eyes far too closely mimicked her own when she'd spat those awful things at Lia and Jaden and everyone. The girl in front of her was a monument to how Alexis had nearly destroyed everything she loved._

_Maybe it was projection, but since she was unable to attack her past self, she could at least deal some damage to the uppity-bitch standing between her and her goal. So Alexis strode forward, her gait confident and self-assured, to accept the challenge of a duel. _

_Just not in the way the two Duelists in front of her thought._

_A second later, the girl had fallen o her knees, arms wrapped around her probably bruising middle, coughing and spitting in an attempt to clear her airways. Alexis lowered her fist, but kept it clenched, watching the gasping girl in white with no small amount of contempt._

" _Next time, when I say get out of my way, get __**the hell**__ out of my way."_

_She made to step around her, but the girl's hand shot out and grabbed Alexis' ankle. The blonde girl halted, and looked down at the other one, her brow raised._

" _I...I won't...let you...anywhere...near the...Master..." The redhead wheezed. Behind her, Alexis heard the boy getting ready to rush her. With one swift, fluid movement (half learned from watching her monsters dance their way into a direct attack), she'd twisted her ankle free. Still in motion, she snapped her arm up at the elbow, holding it perpendicular to her upper arm and parallel to her body. Her fist connected with something with a satisfying 'crunch', and then there was a yelp. Looking over her shoulder, Alexis saw that the dark haired boy had also fallen to the ground, clutching his nose with both hands. There was a trickle of blood working its way between his fingers._

_Alexis looked away, just in time to be punched in the face._

' _The girl!' She cursed as she fell back, only barely managing to avoid tripping over the crouching boy._

" _I won't let you. I __**won't**__!" The girl shrieked, lunging forward again. Her eyes were hideously bright in her too pale face, the skin stretch too tightly over her bones. She looked skeletal in the half light of the gathering storm, and Alexis gulped. She hated herself for showing fear, but the burning eyes and the white skin and that fervent, hopelessly devoted expression on the girl's face didn't sit right with Alexis. It made her stomach churn to watch someone's free will and thought being stripped from them, and the girl before her was little more than a puppet, dancing on the strings that the Light pulled._

_Because it was the Light that was the ultimate enemy. Sartorius, for all his powers and all his gifts, was little more than a pawn himself; merely a pawn with a little more weight to throw around. But because of that, he had even less free will than the members. They were puppets; Sartorius was a vessel, and it made Alexis sick to think about. How long had the man suffered under the cruelty of the Light? What had he been forced to do? How many people had he hurt, people that he loved, people that he never wanted to see in pain? Alexis grit her teeth and dodged another erratic swing. Had the Light threatened to ruin everything for Sartorius like it had for her?_

_That thought was what sharpened her focus. As the girl swung again (she had little skill, but then, Alexis had grown up roughhousing with Atticus and several overzealous cousins. As calm and proper as she could be, there was a part of her that lived for the thrill of the fight, the clashing of blades and the heat of battle. That was the part of her that thrived in dueling, that enjoyed each and every card being thrown down, every strategy being employed, every victory that was bled and sweated for. The part of her that she thought had all but left until Jaden Yuki had made her remember it again in the heat of their very first duel last year. That was the part of Alexis that roar to life as she stood outside the White Dorm, calling for the blood of anyone who touched her and hers with anything but love.) Alexis caught it, hauling the thin body (too thin, too pale, too everything. It was as if something had been stuffed into a package that was far too small for it. Like the white film of a stuffed animal leaking out of a rip, Alexis could see where the girl threatened to split at the seams. And knowing what it was that would come spilling out when that vessel of flesh became too tight, Alexis glared harder and grit her teeth, ready to fight.) towards her and ramming her knee into the already abused stomach._

_The girl dropped like a stone with a pained gasped._

_Alexis had no time to revel in her victory, because she was again blindsided, thrust to the ground. Her knees screamed in protest, and something wet trickled down her leg._

' _Great.' She thought. ' I've skinned my knee.'_

_The boy was trying to pin her arms down, but Alexis had landed on her side, not her back, and spun her body to face him, cuffing him in the temple as she went. Distracted by the pain, he didn't notice her wriggling her leg free until it was booting him in the chest, vaulting him off of her. Alexis sat up, and looked at the gritty, bloody mess that was her knee._

" _Damnit!" She swore. She gingerly prodded at it, and hissed in pain. With careful movement, she plucked some of the more visible pebbles and flung them away. The boy was climbing to his feet a ways away, but he staggered, clearly unstable in his movements. As much as she would've liked to take the credit, Alexis knew it wasn't really her kick that had gotten to him. His eyes had been wild when he'd been on top of her, desperate to stop her because the Light demanded it. She'd seen the pain etched into every line on his face, the fear of the punishment that would happen if he failed. _

_It only made her want to beat the Light more._

_Alexis got to her feet as well, her knee stinging, but not unreasonably so. The boy staggered forward, swinging from left to right in an erratic way. His face as cast in shadow as he wasn't looking at her. He was panting too; Alexis was reminded, suddenly, of the passage describing the mad dog coming up the road in __**To Kill a Mockingbird**__. The slow realization of the narrator that quickly turned to fear was starting to sound very familiar to her now. The boy wasn't even walking, but making a half-scuttling, half-hulking motion, as though his feet had become too heavy for him to lift. There was a disturbing air to it, as though the movements had begun to remove him from his humanity. He came closer, a great, stumbling mass of flesh, nothing more than a puppet dangling on its last strings. Horror came over Alexis._

_The punishment had already started._

_The knowledge made her want to move but the boy shot forward like a bullet, slamming her back against the wall of the Dorm. Groaning, Alexis lowered her head again, already certain she could feel a swelling at the back. Stars danced in front of her vision, and on the very edges, darkness lingered. Her head swam with her thoughts for a moment, groundless, baseless, jostled by the blow. She squeezed her eyes shut to help her concentrate. With great effort, she dragged the pieces back into place, the Dorm and the girl and the boy and her quest and her reasons coming back to her. She opened her eyes, sure of herself once again. And immediately wished that she hadn't._

_The boy had finally raised his face._

_It was hideous. Devoid of all feeling, his skin was taunt and snow-white, stretch so tight over his face that she was sure she could see the outlines of all his bones. His lips, equally white and fading into the rest of his face, were pulled back in a snarl, teeth bared like the cornered animal she'd imagined him and his companion to be. His nose was still bleeding, a steady pump of blood slithering down his face, bright red against the white of his skin. It slid around his curled lips, one single trickle dividing from the rest to stain his teeth pink. At the very edges of his mouth, the blood mixed with the foam that had starting to form. He looked like some rabid creature, diseased and dangerous and in its death throes, ready to make one last kill before its tired, beaten body gave out from under it._

_But what stunned Alexis were his eyes. Vibrant, bright, and feverish, his eyes shone against the dark of his hair and the bloated clouds behind him. They bugged out of his skull, round and glassy, unseeing but all-seeing, burning past her clothes and her skin and into the very, darkest depth of her, like Chazz's eyes had done in that duel. She choked on her breath, because it was a horrifying juxtaposition: those blazing eyes in that skeletal face. It was as though the eyes had sucked all the life out of the face they were set in, gathering it all up and coveting it. It was a metaphor Alexis had heard used time and time again to describe the members of the Society of Light, but she'd never been so close to it, never looked right into the face of one of the members as the Light pushed down on their soul._

_She shuddered, disturbed at the very core of her being by the blazing eyes in that corpse face._

" _Alexis!"_

_And then there he was, black and cold and comforting. The jagged ends of his black coat were tossed about in the wind, his face unperturbed by the charged air. His duel disk rested, inert, on his arm, and he might've passed for impassive and apathetic had the eyes that were staring at her not been alight with concern._

_The boy, distracted for a moment, turned away from his intended prey to find the source of the noise, his jaw hanging slack as he did so. It was with some small measure of satisfaction that Alexis saw Zane flinch at the sight of the boy's face. At least she wasn't alone in being disturbed by it. The second the boy's grip slackened, Alexis rammed her fist under his chin in an uppercut punch, sending him sprawling backwards. Before he could fall all the way to the ground, she grabbed his arm and hauled him back, slamming __**him**__ against the wall using his own momentum. Glaring, she grabbed his wrists and pinned them on either side of his head._

_She was staring into his mad eyes as Zane walked up to her._

" _Alexis-" He started, but she cut him off, valiantly shoving the butterflies in her stomach down._

" _Not now, Zane." She shook the boy lightly. " Listen up. I'm looking for someone, and I'm pretty sure she'd inside you're little clubhouse. Did a girl with long, curly brown hair come in here?"_

_The boy was silent. Alexis pressed on._

" _She was wearing a white top and denim shorts. Did she come in here?"_

_This time, when he didn't answer, Alexis shook him harder._

" _Damnit, I __**know**__ you can hear me!" She wasn't entirely sure who she was addressing. " Answer the damn question!"_

_His head lolled back, blood and foam dripping down his chin. Alexis swallowed the bile that rose in her throat._

" _Alexis, it's pointless. He won't answer. He can't." Zane said, but Alexis didn't look at him. She couldn't, because there was something she had to do. There were several things she had to set right and even more that she had to prove before she could bring herself to look at Zane. There were several battles that had to be fought, and several enemies that had to be defeated, and several weapons she had to use before she would be able to look him in the eye. She had to prove to herself that Jaden was right to believe in her. She had to prove to herself that she could be the girl Jaden and the others believed in._

_She had to prove, once and for all, that she as the girl who had bested the Light of Destruction._

_She slammed the boy back against the wall, letting go of his wrists to grab his collar and force him to look at her. The sight of those eyes turned her stomach, but she forced herself to look into them._

" _Listen, you overgrown nightlight, you have done nothing but cause me and my friends pain since the beginning of the year." This time, she knew __**exactly **__who she was addressing. " Now you cough up the information I want because you fucking owe me! You owe everyone, including this poor boy you are suffocating right now! You tell me what I want to know right now, Exitium, or so help me, I will find you and give you the ass-kicking someone clearly forgot to with my __**bare hands**__! Now. __**Fucking. TALK!**__"_

_There was a moment of silence, in which Zane pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation, and Alexis ground her teeth. The air was heavy with her words and the unshed rain, lightning hovering over them without crackling. Then something happened. _

_The lolling head of the boy snapped up suddenly, and the feral look on his face died away. What replaced was no less inhuman, though. His skin stretch white and his bones shone through, and the blood still dripping from the end of his nose was brighter than ever, a stark, glowing red, made even more so by the thing that looked out of his eyes. Because that's what it was. A formless, faceless, fathomless thing that looked back at Alexis from the burning eyes of the slowly dying boy._

_And when he spoke, it was as if there was another voice under his, ancient and cold, the words making Alexis' ears sting._

" _That girl came here. She always does. One way or another, she finds her way to me."_

" _What are you talking about?" Her grip tightened. The face smiled, but it was awful, all distorted by the whiteness of the skin. It was almost glowing, the bones so visible that it was as if a skull was grinning wickedly at her._

" _Oh, do you love her? Do you love that dear little girl?" Grating, screeching laughter issued from the mouth, and it began to bleed under the weight of the thing speaking. " Love her all you want. It makes no difference. She sealed her fate long ago."_

" _What's going on? Where's Lia?"_

_The thing made the boy's head tilt, as if in thought. Slowly, as though frightened of startling her, a pale hand reached out to touch her cheek. Alexis hid her tremble, refusing to show fear before what she knew to be the Light. Before the hand could touch her though (before she could feel that icy heat on her skin again and be lost in the memory of the Light burning away everything that she was, because Jaden had given that back to her too. He'd given back that painful, agonized recollection, and Alexis fought not to buckle under the weight of it.), another hand clamped down on it and shoved it away from her._

" _Don't you touch her." Zane growled, squeezing the wrist so tight Alexis was surprised she didn't hear the bones creak. The thing turned the boy's head to look at the captured wrist, before it grinned that awful grin at Zane as well._

" _Oh, you're here too? How marvelous. How wonderful. All the pieces in place. What a spectacular game this will be." The thing let the boy lean back on the wall, taking in their confused faces with a look of amusement. " It doesn't matter. Go." It gestured a bony hand towards the entrance. " She is inside, with the boy. You will find her unharmed, though not unscarred. Hurry and play your heroic parts. Put your hearts into it. I want a good show."_

_Alexis slammed it back against the wall again._

" _This is not a game!"_

_A bubble of bloody laughter escaped the boy's lips._

" _But it is. It is, little girl. It has always been. One great game, pieces and players. You cannot understand." It smiled cruelly at her. " You are small and weak and young. You are so disconnected from Her that you can never fully know what you are doing here, on this day. You are nothing but a human, and so your knowledge is little more than a shade of ignorance."_

_Alexis' hands tightened._

" _I beat you." She whispered, and suddenly a hand closed around her throat, quicker than she could follow, quicker than Zane could stop. It choked off her air, making her dizzy and her vision swim again. Before her, the thing had begun to glow brighter in the face of the boy, anger radiating off of it in waves of heat. Alexis remembered the burning as Chazz had turned her, but there was none of that calm, controlled power now. There was rage, though how she knew that, she couldn't have said. The thing glared at her through the glazed eyes of the boy, and in Its glare Alexis saw the wreck of worlds and shattered lives._

" _I will see you __**burn**__." It hissed, and the blood poured in earnest from the boy's mouth. " I will tear the soul from your body and smoulder it to ash before your very eyes, you filthy, insignificant wretch. You will pay for your insolence, mark my words."_

_Alexis laughed a wheezing laugh._

" _Could you...be...any more of...a...cliché?" She spat, grabbing a hold of the hand that was choking her. A gritty smile lit up her face, that fighting part of her surging to the forefront in the face of such a powerful enemy. " Bring it on, bitch. I'm not scared of you."_

_And then behind her, with barely a hint of a call, Cyber Tutu shimmered into being, glaring and cold and ready to hurt the thing causing her master pain._

' _Let go.' She whirred, but the thing paid her no mind._

" _Didn't you learn your lesson the last time we met, little dancer? Or did that stupid boy not teach you pain well enough?"_

_Cyber Tutu's answer was a hard kick to the face. The boy's head snapped back, blood flying in small droplets out into the air. From the corner of her eye, Alexis saw Zane staring in confusion at the empty space at Alexis' side. For all his boasts of power, it was ironic that he couldn't see Duel Spirits._

_The thing was looking at Tutu again, not quite as amused as before._

" _Temper, temper." It chided in its distorted voice. " And why did you not come earlier, if you are so eager to fight?"_

" _Because I wanted to do this on my own." Alexis pulled the hand away from her throat so that she could speak more clearly. " I wanted to look into your eyes and see you for myself, and I wanted to do that on my own." The hand twitched. Zane hissed in anger at her bravado. And Alexis smirked._

" _I've finally seen what you are. I've finally looked into your eyes, and you know what? You're just a big mass of light. Nothing more. You're not even a boogieman hiding under the bed. I've seen what you are and I know what you're not and that's something I can't beat. I fought you and won before, and I'll do it as many times as I have to in order to keep my friends safe. So bring it on. Bring. It. __**On**__. I am not afraid of you."_

_The thing seemed amused._

" _No, you are not. But then, your kind has always been foolish." And then she was being thrown, crashing onto the grass with a yelp. Zane as at her side in a heartbeat, help her to sit up, but the thing had already dropped the boy to his knees. It looked at her then, as it had before, as though it could see under her skin to where her heart lay thumping in her chest._

" _Go. My army awaits you. I accept your challenge, Alexis Rhodes." Then the glowing of the white skin converged in the eyes, the rest of the body dead and suspended only by those vibrant, burning eyes. Alexis got to her feet, stumbled, and then righted herself._

" _Fight me." She activated her duel disk, ignoring Zane's shout of protest. The eyes did not move._

" _No. Not like this. I have other matters to attend to." All at once the eyes flared brighter than ever before, blinding her as it has once done. She brought her hands up to shield her eyes. Somewhere in the distance, there was a low, keening wail of pain, but Alexis, who could only see white, couldn't tell where it was coming from._

" _Fight your way through my army and you will find the girl at the bottom of this sanctuary." The voice, undistorted by existing under another's, made her eardrums scream in protest. It was like a thousand knives stabbing at her auditory organ, each word a poisoned dagger. " But be warned, little girl, what you seek is not what you will find." _

" _What?" She cried, but it was lost in a great rush of noise as the Light swept up and over them, leaving behind the redheaded girl and the dark-haired boy. The buzzing in her ears deafened her for a few moments. Then the roar of the Light leaving became the roar of the thunder overhead, and the storm that had been waiting finally broke, drenching her and Zane and the two Society members as the clouds opened up on them. Weak and shaking, Alexis lay back down on the grass as Zane went to check on the male member of the Society._

" _Is he..." She trailed off, unable to voice the thought. She heard Zane shuffling._

" _No." He said at length, and Alexis all but deflated in relief._

" _Thank god."_

" _He's hurt pretty bad though. He looks like he's been through hell."_

" _He has. The girl too." Alexis closed her eyes for a moment and let the feeling of the rain come over her. The deep roars of thunder and the wicked laughter of lightning faded, and all there was was the rain, warm and soft and seeping into her clothes, into her hair, into her very skin. The rain was inside of her, washing away the fear and the doubt and leaving her mind clear. Her thoughts converged on one goal, and as she slowly sat up, eyes still closed, Alexis heard the frustration in the Light's voice as it declined to fight her face to face._

'_Alexis.' Cyber Tutu whispered, her face grim. Alexis let her eyes open, dark and brown and ready. Cyber Tutu touched her shoulder._

' _Let's go.'_

" _Right." She climbed to her feet, nodding. With long, confident steps she made her way towards the entrance of the White Dorm, ignoring Zane's incredulous gasp. _

" _Alexis!" He shouted, and she heard him surge to his feet, but she was already throwing open the door, Cyber Tutu at her side._

" _Let's show them what we can do, partner!"_

Alexis grinned at the restless, angry crowd that stood before her. In each of their eyes, she could see hints of the thing that had possessed the boy outside, the thing that had taunted her, the thing that had looked into her determined face and accepted her challenge. The power that Jaden respected, the power to shove the Light of Destruction out of her body with nothing but her own heart, drove her legs apart into a sturdy stance and had her holding up her disk in an unmistakable sign.

" Exitium!" She shouted. Behind her, Zane entered, his aura as black as his coat. If nothing else, he was a solid presence at her back, though not necessarily a comforting one. But there would be time to talk to Zane later, after she'd talked to Lia, and after she'd calmed Atticus down, and after she'd met Jaden's eyes and seen his proud, approving smile.

" I'm here as promised! Let's see what you're made of!"

Unbidden, her monsters, not just Cyber Tutu, exploded to life at all of her sides, hovering to her left and right and behind her, gathered around like a platoon with their general. She felt the heat of their bodies, heard the pounding of their hearts, and knew, without any doubt, how the day was going to end.

She reached to draw a card, even as every one of the members did the same in one simultaneous movement, as though they were all one entity. She supposed that they were.

" You will lose." A hundred voices, all different yet one and same hissed. Alexis tossed her golden head.

" Don't count on it." And she slapped a card down, starting the duel.

* * *

Say it with me now:

Oh fuck the HELL yes!

Yes, yes, yes yes yes yes YES!

There it is people! There is the feeling I've been trying to capture for this story. You might be a little, tiny human, but never let anyone tell you that you can't stand against a god! Because you can. Maybe only for one moment, and maybe just for a split second, but you can do it.

Alexis isn't scared anymore. She isn't going to give in. The doubt that has plagued her (and the entire group) for the entirety of the year is GONE. Here she is, the Girl Who Bested the Light of Destruction. The girl who forced It out of her heart with nothing more than her will and her desire to protect her friends. If Chazz is the pinnacle of human strength, then Alexis is the manifestation of human will.

God, I'd forgotten how GOOD I felt when writing this chapter. After so many chapters of fear and doubt and just barely hanging onto hope by a thread, here is where the tides turn. Here is where someone finally digs in their feet and says, " No. Not one more inch. This is where you STOP." And it's not Jaden, with all his powers and gifts. It's Alexis, ordinary, human, not-Haou Alexis. She's the one who flat out challanges Exitium (Latin for Destruction), and she's the one facing Its army.

All hail Alexis Rhodes.

Got those seatbelts fastened? Good, because the ride picks up some speed next chapter and we head just a little closer to that finish line.

Hang on tight!

MoS

Lia: I didn't even get to talk!


	58. Slipping Sanity

Warnings: Sartorius. Just...Sartorius. Sorry, dinner ran longer than expected!

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

' Don't think about it too much.'

That was what Lia told herself as she and Aster walked out of the long, dark stairwell and into a brightly lit, sparsely decorated room. The walls were white, as was to be expected, but the carpet was still a pale blue, a reminder that the dorm had once belonged to the Obelisks, and not the Society of Light. The room itself was several stories high, with large windows that more reflected inwards than they did show the outside. Off to the side was a massive statue, standing at least two stories high. It was of a faceless woman in a flowing dress, her bare arms reaching out as though to embrace something, her hair swept back to fall in waves to her waist. Behind her, stylized on the wall, was a massive golden star, streams of light shooting off in all directions.

And directly across from them, smirking in a most unsettling manner, was Sartorius.

Lia's first instinct was the same as the one that had struck her when he'd dueled Hassleberry. She wanted to run, to curl up in a little ball behind some locked door, and never have to face him. The same aura of wrongness, the one she now could identify as the Light of Destruction, hung around him. His eyes blazed from across the circular room, looking at them both with no small amount of delight.

" Children." He purred in his hypnotic voice, smiling a smile that showed the points of his canines. Lia shuddered. For all she hated showing fear to anyone, Sartorius, with his pale skin and his strange manner and his terrible eyes, threw her so off of her game that fear was the only thing that registered. She wanted to hate him for what he'd done to Chazz and Alexis, but the fire had completely gone out of her. She wanted to run, dearly, to put as much distance between her and the warped man as she could, but her feet stayed firmly planted on the ground. Whether it was from stubborn pride or mindless terror, even she couldn't tell. All she knew was that she couldn't move, and therefore, when Sartorius brought his vivid purple eyes to look into hers, she couldn't turn away. She was lost in the haze of fear that those orbs inspired. He was somehow different from the other Society members. No less pale and no less zealous, but he lacked the skeletal structure of many of them. It did not seem as though the Light was sucking the life out of his face and into his eyes. Lia pondered that for a moment, but her thoughts cut short as Sartorius bent at the middle, favouring her with a mocking bow.

" How kind of you to join us on this momentous occasion, Miss Shanner." His brow quirked in a poor mimicry of concern. " And how brave, as well, considering how much your last visit cost you."

Her hands flew to her throat. She touched the healing bruises, her eyes wide and her voice choked off. Beside her, Aster growled and moved to place himself between her and the man, but Lia was already backing up. She retreated, staring at him, not seeing anything else in the room. How could anything else exist, when that man (that horrible, beautiful man, with his insincere smile and his wicked, clever hands and those eyes that saw all that could ever be) was across from her, looking past her eyes and right down to the heart that was fluttering in her chest like a startled bird? How could there be anything in the world but him, intense against the white walls, standing out from them even though he himself was glowing white? How, oh how, could there have ever existed anything but those eyes, all-seeing, all-knowing, everywhere in every corner of the room, looking at her, looking _through_ her from every angle that had ever been, oh _how_-

" You leave her _out_ of this!" Aster snapped, pushing Lia behind him. The sight of the black shirt he was wearing broke the spell, snapping the lines that connected her and Sartorius. Now that she could no longer see his eyes, the thrall vanished, and Lia was left frightened and confused again, shaking as she rested against a railing.

Though she couldn't see it, she felt Sartorius' smirk.

" 'Out of it', you say." His tone was bemused. Aster's, when he answered, was most assuredly not.

" Yeah! She has nothing to do with this, with any of this! None of these people do! You told me once that I would have to save you from some great evil, but you never said anything about all the people that would caught in the crossfire!"

He sounded so angry, so like the normal Aster she'd come to know. The desolation that had plagued him in that room seemed almost gone, but Lia knew better. His anger had made him strong again for one shining second, but Aster was still unsure of himself, and as soon as his anger was gone, he would be back to doubting himself.

" Why didn't you tell me?" He railed. " Why didn't you ever say _anything_ about all the innocents who were going to get hurt? Why didn't your powers tell you that? Why didn't they...why couldn't you..."

He was running out of steam now. Lia could hear the despair creeping back into his tone, and she wanted to comfort him, to say something, be it cruel or kind, to spur him onwards. But Lia was so weak. The reminder of what Sartorius had managed to do to her the last time she'd confronted him had left her shaking like a leaf. She was hiding behind Aster like a coward, and letting him take the brunt of whatever strange power Sartorius had. She hated herself for it, but the will to do anything, to even raise her hand to touch her friend, had deserted her.

" ...Why didn't you tell me the truth about the D?"

There it was, that painful, awful ring of defeat in Aster's voice. It had shocked her back in the room, with the storm raging just on the other side of the window, and hurt her more than she'd dared to express. It was painful to watch him give up, not only on himself, but on the memory of father. In refusing to go on, Aster had not only labelled himself unworthy of his father's memory, but also labelled that memory an unworthy cause. In not fighting for it, Aster was tarnishing it more than his quest for revenge ever could. He insulted the belief his father had had in him, and insulted the faith that resulted from that belief.

And more, Aster would never forgive himself for giving up. He'd hate himself everyday for the rest of his life, despising the coward he saw every time he looked in the mirror. He'd hate and hate and hate until he was shrivelled at the heart, the core of him nothing but a great, gaping emptiness. He'd hate until he couldn't feel anything else, until he couldn't look at himself in mirror, until he made himself believe that since he was so ugly on the inside that his outside was a match, and that everyone around could see just how cowardly and useless he was.

He'd hate himself until he was convinced that the world hated him.

He'd hate himself until he got her outlook on the world.

Because that was what Lia had thought, for so long. That everyone could see the very heart of her in her eyes, the ugly, twisted little thing that no one, not even her own parents, could truly love. And that because of that, no one wanted to be near her. No one wanted to be her friend. Somehow, they all knew, the whole world, that her father hadn't wanted her and her mother hadn't wanted her and all she was was a left-over from a doomed marriage.

And she couldn't let that happened. She'd lived with that sort of worldview for as long as she could remember, and it hurt worse than anything ever could. Names and jeers and even a slap or two could never amount to the internal pain that came with knowing that the world could see how ugly she was. She'd tried to hide it, to shove the world away so that they couldn't see, to grow her thorns and keep people out. And it had worked, worked too well, and she'd turned that self hate outwards, despising the world because there was nothing left inside of her that she didn't already hate.

But then there had been Jaden, and Syrus, and Chumley and Alexis and Atticus and yes, even Chazz, even snarking, sniping Chazz, and the world had flooded with golden light. Because they didn't hate her. They didn't think she was ugly. They made her beautiful, and that was more than anyone had ever done for Lia. They had _wanted_ her, wanted her exactly as she was, prickly and small and weak, and that made her blossom.

She couldn't go back to that dark place she'd lived in for so long. And she couldn't bear to let Aster fall into it as well.

He was a prick and jerk and so arrogant that sometimes it made her teeth grind, but he was also good and gentle and everything he did came from a desire to do the right thing. Maybe he was a braggart and an idiot, but Chazz bragged a lot, and Jaden was still kinda stupid, and Syrus still got scared of things and Alexis had a temper and Lia herself still didn't know how to put into words how much she wanted to be with them all, so Aster's flaws didn't really count for much. Lia couldn't let him fall into that dark, thorny place, because he'd lost his father too, and she'd never had someone who understood before.

So she wouldn't let Aster do that to himself. Not after he'd laid himself bare before her and helped sew up the hole in her, just a little bit. Lia owned him a debt, because she could talk to him. She could mention her father, and he would get how much it hurt, and how strong she had to be just to bring him up, and how deeply the scars still ran. Aster would listen and know and help her through it, and for that, Lia owed him more than she could ever repay.

With great effort, she raised up her hand and placed it softly on his shoulder, mindful of the cut on his arm. Her body shook, and she couldn't bring herself to look at him, but she gave him the smallest squeeze and whispered his name. She felt him tense under her fingers.

" Why didn't you tell me?" He asked again. His voice wobbled and almost cracked over the last word, but he held it strong. Lia was willing to bet that his eyes were shining with tears that he wouldn't let fall. Despite the despair still colouring his tone, Lia had to respect his strength. At the very least, he wasn't falling back and murmuring about how he couldn't do it. Her hand tightened.

" I see." The was a soft sound, and she realized that Sartorius was shuffling his cards aimlessly. " So you've discovered that much."

" Damnit!" Aster took a step forward, his anger back in full force. The sound of shuffling continued.

" If you've spoken to that man then you must already know that what you ask is impossible."

" Bullshit! You've been telling me that I'd save you someday since I was just a little kid! How could your powers not have known that the D...that he was he one...that he..." Aster was shaking his head back and forth. His back was to her, but Lia could easily picture his scowling face and scrunched up eyes. " How could you keep the truth from me?"

" I'm not talking about that useless piece of information." There was a clack as Sartorius slid his cards into the holder on his disk. Aster's voice rose in a furious tirade at the dismissal of his father's murder, but the older man cut him off, walking forward with a casual grace. " I mean your telling me to...what was it...'leave her out of this'?"

And with a gulp, it occurred to Lia that from where Sartorius now stood, she was in his line of sight. She could feel his eyes on her, and against her will, her head slowly raised to meet them. She scanned up his long legs, over the flared white and blue coat, past the pale throat emerging from his collar. With an enormous amount of will power, she held her gaze on his upturned mouth, focusing in on the slippery smile that was curling his lips. Her body told her to go further, to look into those shining eyes, but she refused, biting her lip until she tasted blood in an effort to not do what the Light wanted her to.

" Sartorius..." Aster said warningly. The man threw back his head and laughed. The sound sent chills down Lia's spine.

" How sweet. How adorable. My, my, how long has it been since I've seen something like this?" He grinned at the pair. " The brave hero and his lovely damsel. You two could be right out of a story book."

Without warning, his expression soured, and Lia quickly looked down again, bringing her other hand to hold Aster as well. His bulk was warm and steady, grounding her. She pressed herself against his back, letting the sound of his heartbeat calm her enough to be able to think straight again.

" But I'm afraid that this is no fairytale, children. Aster, my friend, what you ask is beyond impossible."

" What are you _talking_ about?" Aster shouted in frustration, pushed to the brink by the riddles and guesswork.

" That girl behind you cannot be 'left out of this' because she is already a part of it. In fact," Lia felt his eyes begin to glow without looking at him, " she is an _integral part of it._"

A second later, Sartorius was in front of her, cold fingers under her chin and forcing her to look upwards. His eyes burned into hers, zapping her of any strength she'd gained for being near Aster. She whimpered, and tried to pull back, but his grip was too strong.

" Stop it, my dear." He said in an oddly distorted voice. It made Lia shiver, and something of it echoed in her mind, drifting between memories. Her throat tingled.

" She's not your dear!" Aster snarled, hauling her away from him. She fell against his chest. His am came up around her like it had that day in Domino. It all seemed so long ago. Lia let herself be pressed into his chest, her gaze fixed on his cards.

" Aster, please stop being foolish. Don't interfere with things you cannot understand."

" Understand this!" Aster shoved his duel disk into Sartorius' face.

" Are you challenging me?"

" I swore I wouldn't let you hurt her. _I swore it_."

Sartorius smiled coldly.

" Another promise you will never be able to keep?"

Aster froze. His grip on Lia became painful, but the pain woke her from her daze. Her temper, usually so quick to ignite, finally came rushing back to her in a blaze of motion. Before she'd even realized it, she was pushing off of Aster.

SMACK.

Sartorius' head whipped to the side.

" _Shut up_!" Lia hissed, her strength finally returned to her. " Shut up, you miserable _bastard_! You don't know _anything_ about what he's been through! You don't know what he'd suffered! What right do _you_ have to judge him?"

" All the right in the world." Sartorius (no, it wasn't Sartorius. It couldn't be. That voice was too old, too strong, too inhuman to belong to Sartorius, no matter how much he frightened her. That voice was so remote, so far removed from anything she understood, that Lia knew it wasn't Sartorius. It couldn't be anything, not one single thing, but the voice of the Light of Destruction.) said.

The hand he raised to her was glowing with white. It was a cloud around his fingers, swirling over and over, the formless mass that was both foreign and familiar. Lia shrunk back, stumbling away from the fingers that barely brushed along her forehead.

" Don't touch me." She whispered, a command that was echoed when Aster pushed himself between them again. Sartorius looked between them, and then sighed in frustration.

" You really intend to do this? You intend to throw yourself away for this girl in such a meaningless way?"

" It's not meaningless!" Aster insisted at the same time Lia shouted, " He won't throw anything away!" Their cries echoed through the empty room. Apparently realizing that he wouldn't be able to touch Lia so long as Aster stood in his way, Sartorius turned to the boy.

" Aster, you asked why I didn't tell about the D. The matter seemed unimportant to me. The Light had freed me and I could see that such trivial knowledge meant nothing."

" It meant something to me!" Aster was upset, his voice rising in anger. Sartorius held up his hand for silence.

" That is because you are still blinded by the darkness. You are still lost, unable to see your path. Your destiny is unknown to you, Aster."

" You told me it was my destiny to save you." The boy was deflating, reminded of his self-doubt. Sartorius jumped on the weakness.

" I read that reading wrong. I was warned about a young boy who could shape destiny to his own design. I thought it meant you."

Aster looked down at his feet, his fists clenched.

" You're talking about Jaden, aren't you?"

" Jaden Yuki is an unusual young man in many ways, but yes, I believe that the person I was warned about is Jaden."

Aster's teeth grit together.

" ...So...So then why..." He let his bangs fell into his eyes. " ...why did you try so hard...to get me involved?"

" I already told you. I wasn't sure who the Chosen One was."

Aster flinched.

" So all this time...everything we've done together...it's all been a lie?"

And then something came over the man. As Lia looked at him through her bangs, he appeared to get smaller, deflating like a balloon that had been punctured. He was somehow less intimidating, his hands no longer glowing and his skin a little healthier looking. He didn't look like the leader of a deranged cult. He looked like a sad, lonely man, and for a moment, Lia fought down the urge to reach out to him.

Aster still wasn't looking at him, and at the sound of his name, only flinched again.

" Aster." Sartorius repeated. " You mustn't think that I did this all for my own gain."

" What else am I _supposed _to think? You dragged me into this by telling me that you needed me to save you, and then decided that I wasn't the one. Why didn't you let me go then? Why did you let this go on?" Even if his face was in shadow, the tears were evident in his voice.

" Did you ever think that maybe I wanted to bring you with me? To show you the Light?"

" Don't feed me that bullcrap line!" Aster cut the older man off, giving him a watery glare. " You don't care about what happens to me, or else you would've told me about the D!"

" You seem fixated on that one little piece of information-"

" _He murdered my father! _He's the man I've been looking for my whole life and you never told me!"

" Aster, try to understand. The D was necessary. He brought the card that opened my eyes."

" The card he stole from my dad!"

" An unfortunate turn of events, to be sure." Sartorius was pinching the bridge of his nose. " The point, my friend, is that you were so obsessed with your father's death that showing you the Light would have been impossible. You would have resisted and I wasn't willing to cause you the pain required to tame minds like yours. I thought it best to let you walk around where I could keep an eye on you."

" So you let me stumbled around blindly, knowing the whole time that what I wanted was right in front of me."

" Aster, please listen-"

" No! You listen to me!" The pro star cut his friend off. He was crying in earnest now, tear tracks glittering on his cheeks. " Do you have any idea how much that hurt? You let me make a fool of myself! There I was, talking about how I was going to avenge my father, and his killer was giving me dueling tips! Did you always know? Did you always know I was going to fail to figure it? Did you always know that I would fail my father?"

Sartorius had taken a step back, as Aster let go of Lia to advance on him.

" And what about you, huh? When exactly did you know that I was going to fail you? A week ago? A month? This whole year? When did you figure out that the destiny I've waited so long to fulfill wasn't mine at all?"

Aster got right up in Sartorius' face to yell at him.

" Did you think it was funny or something? Did you laugh at me, running around like an idiot, trying to help people when you knew all along that I was a failure? Has this all been some big _game_ to you or-"

" Aster!" Sartorius grabbed the younger man's shoulders and held them, the sudden weight of his hands cutting the pro star off mid-sentence. Lia watched them warily, still unsettled by Sartorius.

"My friend." The psychic gave the shoulders a squeeze. " My dear, old friend. You are not the Chosen One, but that doesn't mean that I don't want you by my side. You are the first true friend I had, and even a world cleansed of its ugliness would not be complete if you were not with me."

Aster looked up at him, too stunned to speak. Lia looked at him as well, her eyes scanning his face diligently as her gut twisted with foreboding.

" What?" The boy said in a whisper. Sartorius smiled down at him, and Lia's gut curls tighter.

" Do you know the other meaning of the card I drew that day?" Aster shook his head. " 'Unbreakable Bonds'. You and I are linked by friendship, not destiny, Aster. I apologize for leading you on for so long, but I knew that if I told you of all this too soon, you would try to stop me. I didn't want you as my enemy, Aster."

" Tory?" Aster murmured, and Lia's eyes focused in on Sartorius'. The man's smile softened even more.

" Yes, Aster. I read the cards wrong that day. Your destiny was not to pull me from the Light, but to be dragged into it with me. You were always meant to be by my side, Aster, as my best friend." His gripped tightened. The air felt charged again, and too hot. Lia tried to breathe, but it burned her throat on the way down. Her neck was tingling again, harder this time. It was almost painful, and the fine hairs at the back of it were standing on end. No matter how gentle Sartorius' smile was, something was off.

" Do you remember your promise? The one you made to me?" He was saying. Aster was looking at him, wide-eyed. He looked younger than Lia had ever seen him, with his blue eyes shining and his face flushing. He looked so eager to please, so ready to do something. She was almost reminded of the moment on the stairs, with him looking at her like no one had ever looked at her before and promising to fight for her, but it didn't because she wasn't thinking about that.

Aster was nodding.

" I said I'd save you."

" You said that if I ever needed you, you would be there. Aster!" Sartorius' voice took on a note of urgency. " I need you now. The world is filthy, and I can't bear to look at it anymore! I want to erase all that! I want to make people see the Light, so it can burn away the darkness, but I can't do that without that key you have."

He grabbed one of Aster's hands in both of his. Alarm bells were going off in Lia's head, but she couldn't make her mouth move. Her lips were sealed shut, and no matter what she did, they refused to open. She couldn't understand what was happening. Nothing had been done to her, Aster had seen to that. Sartorius had never touched he-

' But he did!' She realized with narrowed eyes. From one brief second, his glowing fingers had touched her, and now she struggled to open her mouth.

" Help me now, Aster. I need you to. Help me create a world without darkness or fear. A world without pain and suffering. Aster." The man looked deeply into Aster's eyes. " Help me create a world where no small children will have to lose their fathers."

It was like a pulse went through him. Aster went very still, his eyes locked with Sartorius' own. Eyes that were bright, burning and _vivid in his pale face oh god-!_

She couldn't speak. She couldn't even move. Something held her rooted to the spot, no matter how much she willed her legs to step forward or her lips to part. She was mute, held captive by a power she didn't understand. Staring at Aster's form desperately, Lia willed him to hear her thoughts.

' You dumbass, his eyes! _Look at his eyes_! That isn't your friend, Aster! That's not Sartorius!' Aster stayed still. ' You idiot! Take a good look at him! That's not your friend, no matter what he says! Look at what he did to me! Aster, I can't _move_!'

But Aster wasn't moving either, Lia realized with a sinking heart.

' Aster, please.' She mentally begged. ' Please, it's not him. Don't do this. Don't let him trick you. You're so close. You can take back the person you were if you just duel him. Win or lose, I know you can find that cocky bastard you were before inside of you. Please, Aster, I want my arrogant jerk back.'

She didn't dare think about the way that sounded. She instead looked into the blazing purple eyes that did not find hers.

' You bastard. Is there no low you won't sink to? Is there any sin you won't commit? You let him go, right now, you sonovabitch! You let him go! You let him go because I will never let you get away with this!'

Unaware of it, Lia's eyes blazed with their own light. Her body throbbed as she tried to move, pulsating with something she couldn't name. Though she didn't remember it, the same surge of power that had propelled her into the belly of the beast that day now warmed her limbs. Under the harsh white lights above, her eyes felt hot in her head, something warm shifting in the spaces behind them.

' You let him _go_, Exitium, because you've taken enough from me and I will never allow you that privilege a_gain!_'

And miraculously, Aster took a step back. And then another. And then another, and another, until he was standing beside Lia. He was shaking his head slowly.

" ...I...I'm sorry...I just...it's not what...my father wouldn't want me to...I just _can't_..."

Lia's eyes flew open at the echo of his earlier despair, but her surprise was cut short as her gaze was irresistibly drawn to the figure of Sartorius. He was holding his hand over his eyes, a dangerous smile on his lips. As though he sensed her gaze, he lowered the hand and Lia was trapped again by the eyes that reflected the Light of Destruction.

" I had predicted your presence, my dear, but not how troublesome it would be."

And then she was lifted off the floor, a mass of white holding her throat, squeezing it. Sartorius' hand was glowing as well, his grin stretched to psychotic proportions, like the gash from a knife across his face. Lia dangled from the mass, kicking uselessly, as Aster shouted in terror and rage.

" No, stop it! Let her _go_ Sartorius! She's done nothing!"

" On the contrary, she's done quite a lot to screw up as many plans as she can. She just can't seem to leave well enough alone, can you?" He directed the comment at the choking Lia. " Just be quiet now, there's a good girl."

" Duel me!" Aster cried in desperation, trying to get the attention back on him and away from Lia. " Leave her alone and duel me! If you win, I'll give you my satellite key!"

Sartorius, or at least, the Light in the body of Sartorius, turned to look at Aster, intrigued.

" And why should I? What's stopping me from simply taking it from you by force?" Lia gurgled, her fingers clawing helplessly at the mass. " Hush, girl, it's no more than you deserve. This is punishment for striking me."

" I'll join you! " Aster shouted, looking between Lia and Sartorius in horror. " I'll do anything you want if you win!"

The man raised a brow. Lia gave a pitiful whimper, her vision going dark at the edges.

" _Please_!" Aster fell to his knees. " Please don't hurt her! Duel me, hurt me, just leave her alone! If you can't leave her outta it than just leave her alone!"

Sartorius let out that strange, spine-tingling laugh again, and grip on her neck let up, just a little.

" You're really offering yourself up in her place? Do you think you can save her? Do you think, after all you've failed to do, that you've found your saving grace in this girl?"

" Just don't hurt her." He begged. The Light in Sartorius smiled cruelly.

" You know it's pointless, don't you?" He walked closer, bending down to whisper something Aster's ear. Aster's eyes widened for a moment, before closing in pain.

" I know that. I do. But please..." He looked at Lia, suspended in the air above him. His face transformed with tenderness, his eyes looking into hers in a way that, despite everything, made her heart pound in her chest. Aster looked back at Sartorius, pleadingly.

" Please duel me, and don't hurt her anymore."

" How interesting. Two challenges in the same day. And you're willing to throw everything away on this one chance at redemption." He tilted his head in thought. " I don't see why not." With a flick of his hand, Lia dropped to the ground, gasping for air. Aster was at her side in an instant, pulling her to his chest and fussing over her. Sartorius walked to the opposite side of the room, his duel disk activating as he went.

" I am in need of some entertainment, and that satellite key must be gotten somehow, I suppose."

" Lia, are you okay, babe?" Aster asked, ignoring Sartorius completely. " I'm sorry. This is all my fault. If I was stronger..."

" D-Dumbass..." Lia rasped, patting his hand. " Y-You did...j-jack. I-It's th-the...Light..." She looked around him to glare at Sartorius. Her face was so dark with rage that Aster was sure he could see the thunderstorm rumbling overhead reflected on it.

" Oh my, such a face you make." The man across from them taunted. " It amazes me that after all this time, you are still able to look at me like that. You really haven't changed at all, have you?"

Abruptly, he raised a glowing hand.

" Go to sleep now, little dawn star. I won't have you interfering yet again."

Lia slumped against Aster, her eyes suddenly heavy. She heard him yelling something, but it was lost as the world because heard like she was a great distance from it. As her eyes began to drift shut, she saw the lights on Aster's duel disk blink, and it activated with a flash.

The last thing Lia saw before she succumbed to the spell Sartorius had placed on her was Aster throwing his Diamond Dude card onto his disk, unaware of the Arcana Force Three monster that was already waiting for it across the field.

* * *

Gah, why do I WRITE this stuff?

Lia: I don't know, why do you enjoy STRANGLING me so much?

That's the thing! I DON'T! And yet, scene like THIS keep happening! Maybe you're just easy to strangle...

Lia: You're about to be if you don't shut it!

Look, I'm sorry, okay?

Lia: You go away for a year, and then you try to kill me off! Sorry. Doesn't. CUT IT!

I'm not trying to kill you off! I didn't plan for that, it just sorta...happened. Like you stealing Aster's duel disk.

Lia: That was stupid, and it reminds me. You forgot to translate my French in that chapter.

Huh? Oh crap! I did! Um, uh, let's see...

Tu purges: You're bleeding.

And the other one that I can't remember the French for is basically 'Take off your shirt, please'. Which is really pretty bold of you, don't you think? Then again, half the school thinks you slept with him.

Lia: I will dig out that rock, pour lighter fluid on it, light that sonovabitch up, and ram it through your skull!

After I've finished updating. Oh, speaking of Lia and Aster's drunken exploits

Lia: NOTHING happened!

- that will be one of the 'Extras'. And now that you mention the 'Extras', I still need prompts for the last drabble. I'm working on the nineth one right now, but I need those prompts for an 11th one. Just one prompt will work. Pretty please?

Lia: You have no right to ask them to do ANYTHING for you.

I'm trying to give them something here!

Lia: You are so useless. You don't even know what you're doing for the 10th one.

I've got time!

Lia: But you're hopeless at managing it.

I'll make you kiss Aster!

Lia: Eep!

I can't decide if she shuts up because she's scared, or because she secretly wants to.

Lia: I'm not scared! I just don't want to!

That confirms it. It's the second one.

Lia: Rock! Fire! Your head!

Yeah, yeah.

Next chapter, Jesse! I'm hitting the acceleration!

Lia: Stop trying to be cool!

MoS


	59. Tempting Offers

Warnings: Jesse speculation. And Crystal Beasts. And I can't write Jesse and Jaden together because I'm a pathetic fujoshi and hey, we got to STUDY fujoshi and moe in one of my classes this year. I wrote a final paper that involved _Yugioh_, which I don't own. How cool is that?

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

It had all gone wrong.

Horrifically, terribly, _violently_ wrong.

That was all Jesse could think as he raced towards the White-formerly-Blue Dorm. With the sky rumbling overhead and rain threatening to come pounding down on them in unforgiving sheets, the only thing that crossed Jesse's mind was how wrong everything had gone.

The GX Tournament was supposed to be fun. The entire year was supposed to be fun. He'd finally managed to bond with his deck enough to feel confident using it, even if it _was_ missing its crown jewel (puns aside). Ruby was speaking to him and the other members of his family were gathered around him like a blanket, warm and soft and making the world look bright again. The announcement of the GX Tournament had seemed like a godsend; a chance to test his new skills against worthy opponents, to figure out his weaknesses and strengths, to try out new strategies as they occurred to him. The fact that it was being held on Academy Island and there was a good chance he would get to see Jaden Yuki again was just icing on Jesse Anderson's cake.

It was supposed to be fun. It was supposed to be relaxing.

Instead, it was fear and power and the ever-growing threat of the Light.

It was chaos and sadness and gut-wrenching heartbreak. Jesse watched as friendships were torn asunder, as lives were ruined, as love was spurned and made into just another weapon for the Light to use. It made the boy sick to think about it, but what else was there to think about when he was racing towards a fight he didn't know he could win? What else could there possibly? Nothing; there was nothing. Just pain and suffering and heartache. Just everything going wrong all at once and Jesse having no idea how to fix it.

Just the bright, blazing red of Jaden's suddenly unfamiliar back.

Because that was the kicker. That was what was making everything seem so wrong. That was what had catapulted Jesse's unease into full-blown fear and paranoia.

Jaden wasn't acting like Jaden.

Admittedly, Jesse knew very little about Jaden. Technically. He knew Jaden liked to duel (loved to duel, _lived_ to duel. Where others had enthusiasm and heart, Jaden had an unstoppable, unmovable force that drove him to play his cards. Where others had fondness and favouritism with their cards, Jaden had a love that sometimes threatened to surpass that which he had for his human friends. Where others had sulking defeats and boisterous victories, Jaden had a _lifestyle_, a single shining moment burning brightly until the next overtook it, never dimming, never fading, growing stronger and stronger until it threatened to swallow Jaden up whole; until Jaden was almost lost behind the glow of his own brilliance.), and he knew Jaden played an Elemental Heroes deck. The boy was a member of the Slifer Red Dorm, had had opportunities to leave, but never did, citing that he liked the view from the Red Dorm the best. Jaden laughed all the time, even when there was nothing to laugh at, even when no one else felt like laughing. In fact, the times Jaden laughed and smiled the most was when no one else wanted to. Jaden filled up the silences that came with fear and despair and loneliness with his bright laughter, made the looming threat look just a little further away by taking people's minds off of it. Jaden took those burdens on himself.

Jesse knew only a little about Jaden, but most of the time, he felt that he knew enough.

Jaden was more than just a good guy.

Jaden was a great guy.

Jaden was a _hero_, and maybe that was the problem.

' _Still think it's just 'human things'?' _A rumbling voice to his left asked. Jesse turned to find Topaz Tiger loping next to him, easily keeping pace. Watching the mass of muscles ripple beneath the glossy fur made Jesse feel depressingly out of shape as he took note of how fast his breathing was. A scoff to his right made him glance over.

Amethyst Cat huffed her pale purple shoulders, and refused to look at her fellow feline.

' _Don't look so smug, brother. It doesn't become you.'_

Jesse heard rather than saw Topaz's answering chuckle. It rumbled through the air around him, and not for the first time, Jesse was grateful that the only person capable of seeing Spirits was far too focused on what was in front of him to notice the flippant way the Crystal Beasts handled the situation.

' _No,_' Topaz said in his deep voice, _' I suppose it doesn't. You, on the other hand..._' He let the statement hang. Jesse bit back an irritated sigh as Cat bristled.

' _You are insufferable!'_ She hissed, her fur standing on end in her irritation.

' Y'all are gettin' on mah nerves, both o' ya.' Jesse snapped at them. Ordinarily, he would never have taken such a tone with his Beasts. He loved them, each and every one of them, but with the sky bubbling with unspent thunder above him and Jasmine's desperate wails of confusion sounding behind him, and Jaden's suddenly unfamiliar red-decked back at his front, Jesse's nerves were frayed to the last strand. All around him, shadows leapt out from between the trees and looked as though they could gobble him up. Beneath his aching feet (and they were aching. Everything was aching. When had it all started aching? When had everything started to _hurt_ so much? When had it all stopped being his game or Alexis' dream or even Jaden's life style and morphed into..._this_? When had the weight of the world suddenly dropped onto the shoulders of a group of unprepared, untrained teenagers? When had it all gotten so complicated?), the ground shook, trembling under the weight of a battle that had yet to be fought, but whose strength promised to put the titans to shame.

And deep within his own chest, Jesse's heart shuddered and cried, pounding so hard he was sure it would try to rip its way out of his chest, bloody and violent and a scene he was sure he'd stolen from a movie somewhere.

Beside him, Topaz gave him a once over.

' _Scared, Jesse?'_ The tiger asked knowingly. Before Jesse could deny it (or admit to it; his pride and his honesty did battle within his own mind, one half of him appalled at the thought of admitting to fear, and another part, so shaken that he was surprised he could stand, that scrambled for purchase on the sheer cliff of terror and would take any comfort offered), Cat bounded around behind him and shoved Topaz hard.

' _Of course he's scared! We're all scared!' _Jesse couldn't see her face, but he could imagine her eyes, dark and narrowed and spitting fire to hide her terror.

' _Vina...'_ Topaz whispered, his tone coloured with regret. It was a name Jesse had never heard before, but there was no doubt who the great cat was addressing.

' _It comes, my brother, It comes. With claws of white and eyes so bright, It breaks, It takes, It steals the night!'_ Cat yowled, and this time, Jesse did not hold back the flinch that had been wanting to break free for so long.

' _Hush, sister. That's nothing but an old rhyme, a relic from a dead world-'_

' _But it wasn't always dead, was it?'_ Cat cut her brother off, half hysterical. _' It wasn't always! Life and laughter, I remember that! I remember peace, my brother! I remember an age when we didn't cower in our decks, fearful of the day It would find us! I remember a time when we were happy, brother!'_

' _We have been happy for a long time. Our lives have been peaceful, even if we've slept for so long that we've missed half the world. Hush now, Vina, you're scaring Jesse.'_

Embarrassed at being caught eavesdropping, Jesse flushed. Or he would have, had Amethyst Cat not turned wild eyes upon him, gazing into his very soul as she took in his pale face and fearful green eyes. Cat's hackles were pulled back to reveal long, sharp fangs, but she didn't seem to be baring them. Her mouth was pulled back because she was panting so hard, her gasps of breath rocking her entire body. Jesse opened his mouth, ready to console her in any way that he could, but she cut him off, rushing up to her back legs, her nose pressed against his in a blur of movement.

' _You're fond of stories, aren't you Jesse?' _He didn't dare disagree._ ' Would you like me to tell you one?'_

When he'd stopped moving, Jesse didn't know, but he found that he just didn't care enough to try and catch up with the others, no matter where they were. The discomforting feeling that cropped up when he looked at Jaden's back lingered, but it was less intense than when he could actually see the other boy. At least now, Jesse had no urge to puke into the nearest bushes. The weight of Cat's paws, though, was equally unnerving. They should have grounded him, planted his feet firmly on the ground, and held him down. Instead, they freed him, hauling him away from Earth and left him feeling weightless, floating like a leaf on the wind. Her eyes (dark and dangerous as they'd always been, but tainted with a desperation he'd never seen) stared into his. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he found his voice.

" Is it a nahce story?" He asked, and then winced at the childishness of the question. He didn't even realize that he'd spoken out loud.

' _Nice?'_ Cat echoed. _' No, it's not a nice story. It's a story about suffering, and pain. It's a story about loss. It's a story of peace being ripped away, and how love turned to traitorous pacts. It's not a nice story.'_

" Then whah do ya want t' tell it t'me?" Jesse managed around the lump that had formed in his throat. This was not what he'd wanted. That day in the hospital seemed so long ago. The wish to rush out and greet the Light of Destruction seemed foolish and selfish in the cold somber light of the clouds overhead. He felt so small, so weak. Cat's paws became heavier on his shoulder, and he wondered if she could crush him underneath them. He'd never fully explored the powers of his Beasts. He'd dueled with them and won with them and played combo and after combo with them, but never once had he questioned the fact that they were _Beasts_. And with the lightning gathering in the sky, and the clouds bloated with rain, and the thick, humid scent of a storm choking up his air, Amethyst Cat looked neither familiar nor comforting. Gone was her comical vanity. Gone was her sleek, stylish mode of movement. Gone was the pleasant low purr of her words. In place of his gentle monster-sister was a rabid, feral thing , wild and untamed, backed into a corner and scant inches away from lunging out. Fangs first.

Jesse trembled.

' _Because Jesse. Because, my dear, sweet boy.'_ Cat rubbed her forehead against his, but Jesse couldn't calm himself with her warmth. The lump expanded in his throat until he was sure he wouldn't be able to breathe soon. At least those terrible eyes were closed.

' _My young, ignorant master.'_ Cat hissed. _' I want to tell you because whatever happens now is the next chapter of that story.'_

" ...The next...chapter?" Jesse whispered through gummed up lips. He couldn't think, not with those eyes back on him. In the background, Topaz sighed mournfully.

' _Whatever happens now...whatever path you and yours choose to walk...even if you choose the path of battle...it's nothing but a continuation of something that happened so long ago.'_

" History repeats itself..."

At long last, Cat gave a smile at his words. It was a tired, world-weary, painfully sad smile, but it was more than she'd given him in a while, so Jesse took it.

' _More than you will ever know.'_

" I think that's enough for now."

All three, the two duel spirits and their human boy, whipped around at the voice.

Jaden Yuki stood, his face half in shadow, watching them with quiet empathy. His brown eyes shone vibrantly beneath the fringe of his bangs, flecks of gold making them almost glow in the gloom around him. Jesse swallowed, cold sweat trickling down the side of his face for no reason he could think of. There, in the midst of the gathering storm, Jaden looked so far removed from his usual goofy self that the nausea returned full-throttle. As his stomach churned, Jesse allowed himself to think that Jaden looked intimidating.

Cat hissed.

' _Who are you to interrupt me? How dare you speak to me like that! You may command the Elementals, but don't you dare think for a second that you order me around!'_

' _Vina...'_ Topaz tried to intervene, but his sister snarled at him.

' _Stay out of this, Topace!'_

" Gahys, stop it..." Jesse said weakly as Cat bared her fangs at Jaden.

' _Scarlet Boy, don't try and interfere here. Jesse has a right to know about what happened, about what's happening, about-'_

" I know what you lost that day." Jaden said, his voice suddenly soft. Cat's furious tirade stuttered to a halt. Topaz started, staring at Jaden like he was a particularly difficult puzzle, missing several pieces. Jesse glanced at Jaden's mouth, because he couldn't bear to look into Jaden's eyes anymore; he wasn't sure what he'd see reflected in those depths and more so, he wasn't sure if the depths would be brown or golden.

' _...H-How...How could you...How could __**you**__ ...know...'_ Cat whispered, at a loss. Jesse saw Jaden's lips smile that same, sad smile Cat had used only moments before.

" I know more than you could possibly understand, Vina Venationis."

A gasp. The world seemed to be holding its breath, the gathering storm itself muted in the wake of Jaden's soft voice and frighteningly knowing eyes. Jesse kept staring hard at his mouth, unwilling or unable to look any higher. A twitch, and Jaden slowly raised his hand to touch Cat's head. Jesse hadn't even noticed that Jaden had gotten so close. The nausea rose to a crescendo, and Jesse was afraid that he was going to throw up, right there.

' _How?'_ Cat said, and it was barely more than a plea. Jaden hand stroked the top of her head.

" Sleep now. This isn't your fight, Vina. You'll lose more than your temper if you try to join in. It sees your anger, your weakness, and It will use that against you. You'll lose your heart, Vina."

Jesse head was starting to hurt. His legs shook with the effort it took to keep himself upright. Suddenly, insisting on running after Jaden seemed like the stupidest thing he'd ever done, and he grudgingly acknowledge that maybe, Syrus had been right about him not being able to handle himself. If only the enormous pressure that hung around them would lift, then maybe he could breathe and get some oxygen to his brain, and finally be able to _think_ straight.

' _But...'_ Since when had Amethyst Cat sounded so weak? For that matter, since when had Jesse been so weak? Since could Jaden make anyone so weak? The lips quirked downwards into a frown, as though the Slifer could hear Jesse's thoughts.

" This isn't the moment of vengeance. It's not the final battle. There will be another hunt, Vina Venationis, and when it comes, you can extract your revenge however you see fit. But for now, save up your strength. I'll take care of this." Jaden whispered in a voice that could not be disobeyed. Jesse felt his monster tremble, just once, and then she faded, vanishing back into the deck.

The fear for his family overrode any sickness and his green eyes snapped up to glare at the Slifer.

" Jaden, what th' he-" He was ignored as Jaden focused on Topaz, who had a look of dawning realization on his face. Jaden met the gaze and nodded once.

' _I see.'_ Was all the massive feline said before he too disappeared back into the deck.

Jaden's shoulders dropped, the pressure vanished, and Jesse found his voice again.

" Jaden, wha' in God's name do ya think y're doin' t' _mah family?_"

His accent had thickened as he yelled. Anger and fear lent strength to his previously shaking limbs and before Jesse knew what was happening, he had Jaden by the shoulders with a grip that would probably bruise and was trying to get a good look into the Slifer's eyes. The task was made all the more difficult by Jaden tilting his head down to utilize his bangs, a technique that he'd been using far too much as of late.

Jesse ground his teeth.

" Oh no ya don't!" He snapped, and tangled his fingers in Jaden's bangs. He shoved the choppy locks of hair away from Jaden's eyes, holding them flat against the slope of his head. His thumb brushed Jaden's forehead. Wide-eyed in surprise, Jaden looked back at him with gold-brown eyes in an increasingly pink face.

" J-Jesse?" It was the first thing Jaden has said to him since before Linda had come knocking on his door (and _god_, did that seem so long ago. Everything felt so far away, like Jesse was completely removed from the world and the way time flowed around it. He felt like hours ago had been years, but years ago had faded into black and white grainy pictures, crinkled at the edges, and, oh god, oh god, ohgodohgodoh_god he could only barely remember their faces-_), but it did nothing to reassure Jesse.

" What. Th' Hell. Are Ya. _Doin'_." Jesse demanded through gritted teeth. The hand not gripping the hair clenched on his shoulder.

" I told you. Fighting." Jaden sounded tired. As tired as Cat looked. Jesse's heart cracked open just a little.

" An' tha' involves messin' with mah family?" But not enough to forgive him just that trespass.

Jaden heaved a sigh.

" She would've been lost Jesse. She would've lost her head and then lost her heart and I don't know what I would've done. It's taken enough from me this year. It won't have Vina."

" And whah are ya callin' her 'Vina'? Her name's Amethyst Cat." He was nitpicking, but Jesse was desperately trying to hold onto his anger when Jaden looked so weary.

" Names are words, Jesse, and there is power in words. What I invoke when I call her Vina would take too long to explain right now."

" Give me th' Sparknotes version."

Jaden eyed him with those unsettling eyes. Jesse forced himself not to blink.

" Memories...are almost as powerful as words. I invoke a memory with a word and that memory lends power to the word and that word becomes powerful. I invoke the power of the memory with the power of the word, but the word is only powerful because of the memory, while the memory can only give it that power because of the power of the word."

Jesse blinked.

" I told you it would take too long to explain." Jaden laughed (not bright, not gentle, not hopeful, but old. Old beyond understanding, old beyond comprehension. Old beyond the turn of the world. It frightened Jesse how much it calmed him), and reached out. Teasingly, he let the fingers of his right hand flutter on Jesse's cheekbone, brushing the skin next to the green eyes.

Jesse went red, but didn't move. Jaden's own eyes held him in place.

" Do you want to know?" He asked, his voice so soft that Jesse had to strain to hear it. The pressure was back. No, that was wrong. It had never left. It had simply been dulled down, muted until it was almost gone, little more than the brush of the wind in his hair. But it was never gone. It had never been gone. All the time he'd spent with Jaden since arriving for the GX Tournament, it had been there, slowly growing, like a boulder picking up speed as it rolled down a hill. The entire year, there had been a slow build of the pressure, and Jesse had felt the true weight of it moments ago, as Jaden had ordered Amethyst Cat back into her deck. It had nauseated him then.

It made his skin tingle as Jaden's fingers touched his brow.

" I can tell you, if you really want to know. She didn't lie. It's a terrible story. And no happy ending. There's hope, but it's a fool's hope. It's been told as a cautionary tale, but the version I know is different from the watered-down versions that have floated through the ages. It's probably the same version Vina was going to tell you." His fingers pushed Jesse's bangs back. He smiled that terrible, heart-breaking smile.

" It's beautiful, though." He whispered, looking at Jesse, but not seeing him. He was too close, Jesse realized. Those golden-brown eyes could swallow him whole, peel back the layers of his skin and his muscles and his bones, until Jaden could see the very center of him, and all that entailed. It was dangerous. Those eyes were dangerous. There was as unnerving as the eyes of the Society members, just as intense, but with a different feel to them. They burned, but not the same way. They took the focus away from Jaden's face, but they didn't suck the life from him. If anything, they made him and everything around him _more_ vibrant. The trees were greener and the low sound of thunder was deeper. The red of Jaden's jacket was brighter and his skin seemed to glow faintly. Even the air, pressure and all, was tinged with energy, humming around the two.

Jesse bit back a whimper of fear and surprise as those eyes looked right into him.

" Such a terrible, beautiful story. I don't think you'd like it much, but..." Those fingers whispered along his brow. " If you really want me to..."

Jesse felt his eyes flutter.

" ...I will..."

He was weightless again, but heavy, filled to the brim with something he couldn't name.

"..._wash the lies from your eyes_."

The something dissipated. The weightlessness left, and he remembered where he was and why it was so important that they keep going. He remembered Lia Shanner's bruised neck and Chazz's stunned, happy face. He remembered Alexis Rhodes' grim lips and Syrus' quiet explanation. He remembered the terror and love in Amethyst Cat (Vina?)'s face, and the understanding in Topaz's. He remembered his own petty wish and his terror at the newfound knowledge. He remembered breaking, and then gluing himself back together bit by bit. He remembered strength.

He remembered their faces.

Green eyes flew open.

" No!" Frantically, he grabbed Jaden's hand, pulling it away from his face. To his surprise, Jaden didn't look put out in the least by the frantic refusal. In fact, the Slifer was smiling.

" I knew you had some brains under all that hair, Jess." Jaden teased, sounding a little like himself. He reached up, and pulled Jesse's hand out of his hair, grasping it. Jesse, despite the high of his epiphany dulling his senses, blushed.

" You have to trust me now, Jess. You have to believe in me. I need that now. I need you all. I've decided to believe in your strength; now all of you have to believe in mine. I won't lose, Jesse. I promise you that much. I won't lose."

With those fierce eyes finally looking more brown than gold (or maybe he was just fooling himself and _oh god, when did Jaden get so close?_), Jesse found the power to meet them at last, and smile a little.

" Ah believe in ya, Jay."

Jaden returned the smile. He squeezed Jesse's hand and gave a small tug.

" C'mon then. Syrus and Hassleberry won't believe you got lost if we stay much longer."

" You told them I got lost?" Jesse was certainly not pouting as they started back down the path. Jaden merely chuckled, but then paused. Jesse nearly ran into him. " C'mon, Jay, you just said..."

The words died as Jaden turned to face him, pulled his hand up, and pressed the nails of Jesse right index and middle finger to his lips.

" _Jaden?_" He didn't squeak. Of course not.

The pressure rushed back, thunder rumbled over them, and the first drops of rain splattered down on them.

" _Blessed be those whose hearts are strong_." Jaden intoned, and Jesse felt a jolt go through him, as though the lightning above them had struck him. Jaden dropped his hand and started walking again; a casual gait that looked, for all the world, like he hadn't just sent Jesse's world tilting off of its axis for a moment.

" Hurry up." He called back, not turning. Jesse was grateful, because after so much confusion and surprise, he didn't think he could handle the look that Jaden's tone implied.

" _I have a war to win."_

* * *

Jesse's accent is hard to write sometimes. But I take it as a challenge.

Also, I chose those names very carefully. And I took Latin last year in school, and I wanted to show off. And it's kinda a fun language. And it made me finally understand what the hell the accusative case it. Because when someone is trying to explain it to you in a German classroom, speaking only German, and you're a first year German student who just learned how to conjugate regular verbs, it all goes right over your head.

Accusitive case: when the noun is receiving the verb!

Yay! Do the linguistic dance with me!

Lia: Oh god, there are not enough words in any language to describe how much I don't know you.

...I don't see you danci~ing.

Lia: And you never will. Get on with it.

Huh? Oh right. The names.

I named Amethyst Cat 'Vina' after a legend I found while 'researching' amethyst on Wikipedia. So I don't know if it's true or not, but here it goes: The stone amethyst was created when the wine god Dionysus vowed to kill the next mortal he saw (he was pissed and the party god- he does _need_ a reason. Also, he was a GREEK god. I took a course on them last year. They're batshit. All of them.) So he summoned up some vicious animals. Well, the next person he met on the road was a young woman named Amethystos, who was on her way to pay tribute to Artemis. Artemis saved her from the animals by turning her into crystal quartz to protect her. Dionysus, feeling remorseful, cried wine on the statue and turned it purple. Amethyst was apparently supposed to be a charm against getting drunk.

So I named Amethyst Cat 'Vina' because 'Vina' sounds like the feminine version of the word 'vinum', Latin for wine. Actually, Vina is both the plural nominative and plural accusitive of vinum, so her name can mean 'wines'.

Venationis- of the hunt.

Also, those animals Dionysus summoned up? Some versions say they were tigers.

Topaz's name is Old French for Topaz, because I couldn't use Latin for everything. I don't know how it's supposed to be pronounced, by in my head, it goes 'TO-pah-kay'

Gah! Spiritshipping, why must you betray me so? Why are they so easy to write like that? I can't stop ga-ARGH!

Lia: Attractive.

_In verbis, potentia._ 'In words, thre is power.' The 'v' is pronounced like a 'w'. This is kinda a...not really a theme but...a lesson? An idea? The power of words will become more evident as time goes on. Incidentally, my profile picture is currently of a girl who will appear later on (drawn on a base I found on deviantart) named Artemis who lives her life by this creed. She's in the sequel, by the way. And all around her on the picture is this phrase written in various forms.

It's kinda like a spell, or the explanation of a spell. Like 'The blood is the bond', or things like that. It's not really a spell so much as it is a fundamental truth of the universe. There is power in words. The words themselve may or may not be powerful, but there is power in them.

After all, isn't that why we all gather here? Because we believe in the power in the words?

Anywho, I plan to use more Latin later on, because it's fun. I should probaly use Greek, because it's older, but I don't know Greek (I'm talking about Ancient Greek here, although both that and modern Greek are beyond me), but Latin is what I learned and I just have more fun looking at Latin. Greek has a different alphabet, and half the fun of Latin is tracing the words into their modern English, French, and Spanish counterparts.

Verbum- words; Verbs, anyone?

Potentia- power; Potential and potent.

It's just fun.

Aster's back next chapter and the rears Its ugly head! Tighten those belts and hang on!

MoS


	60. Closing Curtains

Warnings: Slightly less angst, and then a powerful comeback! And I try my hand at writing about the power of love! Oh god, this can't end well!

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

Aster panted, bit back a gasp of pain, and shakily got to his feet.

Before him, Arcana Force Twenty-One floated, unassuming, at Sartorius' side, its hulking mass and strange markings betraying nothing. It looked less like the humanoid monsters he'd become accustomed to than it did like a faceless, throwaway object. It didn't even look like the card it was supposed to represent. Aster could recall Sartorius carefully showing him every card in his deck, back when Aster had been young and still called him 'Tory'. He could vividly remember the image of a naked woman, a pink scarf floating around her, animals peeking out of clouds at the four corners of the card. He remembered blushing bright red, because, though Sartorius was patiently explaining the card's meaning, Aster was stuck on the fact that there was a _naked woman_ and he could see her _bare breasts_.

He thought, perhaps, that Sartorius had said something about completion, and things coming full circle.

" _A student becoming a master."_ He'd said.

" _When I left you, I was but a learner. Now __**I **__am the master."_ Aster had quipped, feeling pleased with his witty reply. Sartorius had laughed, patted his friend's silvery head, and said, _" Exactly."_

Sartorius hadn't smiled like that in a long time. At least, not at Aster.

Wincing as his side wound was aggravated, Aster grit his teeth and fought to stay upright.

It would be so easy to just stop trying, to fall back down and rest. His side and arm were aching something fierce, his cards suddenly heavier than they'd ever been before. His vision swam from blurred to clear. His head ached, his chest felt like there was a spear through it; his whole being, body, mind and soul, screamed in protest to his movements.

It would all be so much easier if he just _gave up_...

" _You are __**not **__doing this, Phoenix. Not now. Not when you're so close to the finish line that you can reach out and touch it. You have been running this race your whole life and you are __**damn well**__ going to finish it, am I __**clear**__?"_

Her voice echoed through his mind, and, unbidden, his eyes sought her.

She was still lying on the blue carpet on her back, eyes closed and face pale. Her chest was heaving slightly, and she looked as though she was having a bad dream. A drop of sweat trickled down her forehead, her face bunched up in a scowl. She didn't writhe around; no sound escaped her lips. All the same, it was clear from her face that her rest wasn't a peaceful one. Nightmares were plaguing her and, for a moment, Aster felt that same helplessness threaten to overtake him.

" _I can't let you lose anyone else. That's something I can't do. Even if...even if...You're not the hero..." A shaking hand reached out to touch the one he had on this duel disk. It was cold and clammy with fear. _

" _Even if you're not the hero, you're a good person Aster. And I can't let you get hurt again. I've hurt so many people and said so many bad things, and I just..."_

_She shook her head again, and smiled sadly at him._

" _I won't let you do this to yourself. You, out of anyone, deserve to get a little back for everything you've had to give up. So." She touched the cards in the slot on the disk. The image of her, gently pressing his Destiny Heroes against her heart, calling on their strength to guide her, was forever burned into his mind. Her eyes were steel as he was drawn back to them, and for a second, he thought he was back in the duel arena, facing down Jaden._

" _If you won't fight for Sartorius, Aster, then I'll just have to fight for you." _

But if he did that, then he was insulting her.

If he did that, he would be spitting on her image of him.

If he did that...if he gave up...

Those star filled eyes haunted his thoughts.

No. Never. He couldn't bring himself to disappoint her ever again.

" You really are hopeless." Sartorius laughed at him from across the room. The smug look on his face made Aster uncomfortably aware of his own thoughts. Reading futures, not minds, has always been Sartorius' gift, but who knew what the Light had twisted his best friend's powers into?

He settled for trying to cover up his doubts with a cold glare.

The man's answering smile told him that he'd failed. Miserably.

" Now, now. Don't look at me that way, Aster. It hurts my feelings." Mockingly, Sartorius tapped his chest.

" You can imagine how much those mean to me right now." Aster snapped back. His vision blurred again and he bit the inside of his cheek. The sharp, metallic taste of blood jolted him from the slight stupor that had settled over his senses. Sartorius raised one dark brow at him, his unnatural eyes following Aster's every move with a look that would not have been out of place on a starving tiger. There was a hunger in that gaze, but for what Aster couldn't really guess. He didn't even know if it could be called _hunger_, because Aster had seen hunger (all sorts and all kinds. He'd been protected, not sheltered, and names like 'Vincent Shroud' had been part of his education. He'd graduated university shortly after his voice had started cracking, and knowledge that wasn't taught in a classroom had come to him in all forms), and what was in those eyes wasn't quite that.

But hunger was the closest approximation he could make, and so hunger he would call it.

It freaked him out a little, though, that he could only make an _approximation_.

" You're upset with me." Sartorius observed, carefully running his fingers along his cards. His too-white fingers. God, how had Aster gone so long without realizing what was wrong? How had he been forewarned and yet so out of the loop?

' I'm a failure, that's why. I'm a failure and I didn't see the truth that was right in front of me again and I can't-'

" _If you say the word 'can't' again, I'll jam that duel disk you're holding right down your throat."_

He looked ruefully down at the mechanism on his arm.

' She'd find a way to manage it too.'

" You love her."

He jumped. Across from him, Sartorius cruel grin had stretched into epic proportions. Aster was irresistibly reminded of his favourite Christmas cartoon as a child, of a furry, cold-hearted green creature pulling his lips back into a hideous, bone-chilling grin as a deep-voiced narrator explained, " The Grinch got a wonderful, _awful_ idea."

A similar smile, this one even more grotesque than the one worn by the childhood thief, played over Sartorius' face. It frightened Aster just as badly as The Grinch's had the first time he'd watched the special.

" You _love_ her." Oh god, those _teeth_. Like a dog baring its fangs at an intruder but worse, because instead of growling, the man (thing; beast; what was he? What were any of the Society members? Certainly not human. Not anymore. Something had ripped the humanity from them, torn it out like it was some kind of sickness. And the cracks it left behind, the open wounds and the tears at the seams, they were filled with the awful, blinding Light; they festered, growing corrupted, and the decay marched inwards. Aster had no name for them, and even less for whatever Sartorius had become. A name seemed like such a small thing, like trying to fit a square block into a circular hole. It couldn't be done. Any name or label Aster could come up with would never fit. Instinctively, he knew that.) was smiling.

" You love her. You and so many others..." He trailed off, gesturing incomprehensibly with his hand. " How such a whining, snivelling brat manages to inspire such loyalty, I will never understand."

" Don't you talk about her like that! You don't know her! You don't know a goddamn thing _about _her!"

This time, Sartorius' laugh was full-blown and echoing. It made his entire body shake and did the same to Aster's.

" On the contrary, my friend, I know more about her than you ever will."

" You shut your lying mouth!" Aster whipped a card out of his deck before he'd even realized what was going on. He was down to 900 lifepoints and standing on the edge of oblivion. Sartorius seemed to have all the aces, and his predictions were coming through for him left, right, and center. All Aster had was his deck, his belief in himself (which was at an all-time low), and the mix of protective anger and amorous honour he felt for Lia.

Barely aware of what he was doing behind the haze of red, Aster prayed that it was enough.

He glanced at the card, and felt his stomach swoop at the answer.

" I play Doctor D! I pull a Destiny Hero out of my Graveyard and remove it from the game. This lets me summon another Hero from the Grave to the field. So come on out, Destiny Hero Disk Commander!"

In a flash of light, his hero leapt to the forefront, massive CD-like structures shining on his arms as he crouched in defense mode.

" And that's not all!" He was shouting an awful lot, he noticed, but adrenaline was pumping through his veins and for the first time since he'd entered the room, he felt something besides anger and despair.

Maybe it was nothing. Maybe it was a coincidence. Maybe he really was a failure and a weakling and a loser.

But he'd drawn the card he'd needed at the exact moment he'd needed it. There was something so intrinsically Jaden-like about the move that it made electricity shoot through his system. Maybe he couldn't win against Sartorius, but he _could_ fight. He could chip away, just a little, at the armour his friend was wearing. He could batter the man down until there was a tiny crack in the wall.

He could keep his promise to Lia.

He could _try_.

" When Disk Commander is summoned, I get to draw two more cards from my deck." He pulled two out, his heart thundering even louder as he saw what he'd drawn. " I summon my Doom Lord." A flash, and his cloaked monster was at his side, awaiting his orders.

' Now,' he eyed The World, ' to get rid of that eyesore.'

He nodded to the waiting monster, who reached out a clawed hand. There was a distortion, a kind of ripple from those claws, and then The World vanished from behind Sartorius, sent several turns into the future. Sartorius started at the sudden loss of his monster, and it bolstered Aster more than he ever thought it could.

" Now I play the spell card D-Formation. When you destroy a Destiny Hero, there'll be a price to pay. Let's see how cocky you are now, Tory!"

He held back a wince as the childhood nickname slipped past his lips. He hadn't meant to say it. He hadn't. But then, lots of things that he hadn't meant to happen had. Control had slipped away from him before he'd realized it, and he'd been lost in a storm, sinking beneath the waves of his failures. It had all gone so wrong so quickly, and Aster had been left with pieces of his life, the puzzle broken and scattered across the world. Was it so wrong then, that all he wanted was to return to those happier times? He wanted to go back to when the 'evil' Sartorius was always going on about was some far off threat; when Sarina huffed and tried to comb his hair back and taught him how to properly treat a girl; and yes, even, back to when The D was kind and helpful and the closest thing Aster was ever going to come to a father again. Because no matter how much it hurt now, it had been the truth. The D had been his father.

' But I was wrong. The D never thought of me like a son. I was a cover, an alibi. No matter how much I loved him, he never once loved me.'

" She will never love you." It was satisfying to see Sartorius gritting his teeth. His awful eyes had narrowed, just a little. The smile hadn't dropped from his face, but it had dimmed. Sartorius didn't look so much smug as he did faking smugness. He was desperately trying to hold onto his composure. There were merits, Aster decided in that moment, to having lost all dignity and self-image. There was not need to make an effort to keep up an act.

Aster was in the very depths of despair. He didn't need to pretend that he wasn't. (Only, it wasn't quite the depths anymore, was it? Little by little, inch by slow, painfully won inch, he climbed his way back towards the soft golden light that gleamed at the top of the pit he'd let himself fall into. He was scared and shaking and lost, but there was _something_ where there had been nothing before. And that was enough to give him the strength to hold his cards up.)

" Any of you." Sartorius continued drawing a card. " No matter how hard you all try, no matter how much you do for her, she will never love any of you miserable worms. Didn't I tell you?" He smirked, not smiled, and his smugness was coloured with well-concealed surprise. Somewhere, far above them, a muffled yell echoed and thuds sounded. Aster glanced up at the ceiling, confused. Sartorius offered it a dark glare.

' What's got you so worked up?' Aster thought, a trace of his usual cockiness seeping into his mental tone. ' There's something up there that's making you sweat, and I wanna know what it is so that I can send it flowers after this is all over.'

" Che." The psychic scowled. " Annoying fly. She's serious about this after all." His gaze drifted to Lia's still form. His gaze wasn't exactly hostile, but it wasn't friendly either, and Aster glared at him as he shifted to hide her from view. When Sartorius spoke again, there was a note of contemplation in his voice.

" How is it, dawn star, that they are so loyal to you? What have you done to draw them to you like this? Why do they love you so, when you will never love them? After all..._there is only one whose love matters_."

Aster winced before he could stop himself. He knew Sartorius caught it. And he knew Sartorius knew how much it hurt, given that it was the same taunt the man had used right before he'd accepted Aster's challenge for a duel. With his head lowered and his lip being worried by his teeth (oh god, he was picking up her habits!), Aster missed the triumphant, but tired smile Sartorius gave Lia's prone body.

" And as always, that will be your Achilles' Heel, my dear." Aster's head shot up, but Sartorius was already back in duel mode. " I play Necro-Sacrifice. Now, two monsters appear on your side of the field." As he spoke, two shocks of light exploded out of his Graveyard and shot towards Aster's side of the field. As the light took shape and began to fill with colour, the teenager gaped at The Empress and Emperor cards. Sartorius laughed. " And by removing these two from my Graveyard, and I can now summon an even greater power! So come forth, Arcana Force 15!"

While the two Arcana cards on his side sat in defense mode and the cards above them stopped moving while upside-down (Aster paid no attention to what drawbacks the special abilities afforded them, though he did note that both of them lost 500 attack points), Aster stared at the shower of sparkles that heralded a new monster coming into play.

_Unbreakable Bonds_, he'd said when he'd tried to trick Aster. But the younger man knew which card The Fiend represented, although neither he nor Sartorius had ever dared to say it out loud.

' The fifteenth card of the Major Arcana.' Aster thought as the red and black deformed body turned to look at him through a trio of bloodshot, staring eyes. He gritted his teeth.

' The Devil. A future filled with temptation and evil, huh?'

" Forgive me, Aster. In my enthusiasm, I forgot to tell you what the reversed Empress and Emperor will do for you." Sartorius was grinning his skull-grin again.

" That doesn't sound good."

" As perceptive as ever, my old friend. The reversed Empress means that every time a monster is summoned to my side of the field, you have to send one card to the Graveyard." Aster glared at him. " Well? We don't have all day."

Grudgingly, he complied.

" See? You can be made to take direction. Now, the reversed Emperor-"

" Lemme guess. The 500 point deduction from their attack points?"

Sartorius' lip curled, just a little, at being cut off.

" A keen eye, as always. But tell me, can you guess what the outcome of The Fiend will be?" He pointed to the spinning card above his prized monster.

" Maybe it'll stop right-side up?" The card did just that as Aster sneered at it. " Shocker, that."

" Don't be childish, Aster. You yourself once extolled the virtues of destiny."

" That was before-!"

" Before what? Before you realized how pointless your life was? Before you realized that you've done nothing but fail since the day you made that vow? Before you realized that every single step you have taken has ultimately led to this one single moment? Aster, let me give you some comfort." Sartorius sounded anything but comforting. " Your father's death wasn't in vain. It _had_ a meaning. How else was I to find my way into the Light?"

" Don't you _dare_ try and justify it like that!" Aster roared, even as The Fiend shot out a hooked tentacle and killed The Emperor. At his side, Doom Lord vanished almost immediately following the Arcana card. " What?"

Sartorius chuckled.

" The power of The Fiend is simple: When he attacks you, another monster on your field is destroyed."

" You sonovabitch!"

" So ungrateful. You're acting as though I've told you something that you didn't already know."

" What?" His vision was so red. Everything was swimming. His arm was hurting again. But his legs were firmly planted because he was so angry he couldn't see straight. And it was making him strong.

" Isn't that what you've been telling yourself all these years? That is was unfortunate that your father died, but it wasn't meaningless. Because if he hadn't died, I wouldn't be in danger, and you wouldn't have to _save me_. All this time, all you've been doing is trying is justify your own sense of heroics. Don't try and push all the blame onto me, Aster. I'm just a victim of _your _ego!"

Aster went numb.

'No...' His mind whispered.

No, that couldn't be right. No, he hadn't meant that. No, no, he loved his father. He loved him so much that it was like a physical ache most days; a great, gaping hole at the very center of him that nothing and no one could fill (but he'd tried, hadn't he? With Sartorius, with The D. Men, older, stronger, cooler figures to look up to, to emulate. To love. He'd tried so hard to fill the hole up with his friends and his new family, but nothing worked. No one, not one single person, was Aiden Phoenix, and Aster was left feeling emptier than before. Lost, hurt, all alone in a big, rain-washed world where there was no father for him to come home to. So he'd made his quest, sworn it in all but blood, and rushed out to meet the world that had taken the person he loved most away from him. And in his selfishness, what, oh god _what_ had he _done_?). He loved his father enough to swear vengeance, and that wasn't wrong, was it?

When had his love for his father turned into something so filthy?

_" This isn't honouring his memory, it's tarnishing it!" Lia snarled. " You think your father wanted you to be running around, using the cards he made for you as tools for your stupid revenge?"_

" So that's what you meant." Aster whispered, unaware that he'd spoken out loud. In front of him, The Fiend shot out another tentacle and slashed him through. He was dimly aware of pain as he fell to the floor, his lifepoints dropping to 400, but his senses seemed dulled somehow. Before his eyes was a darkly lit hallway and a crying, angry girl. She was beautiful, but he hadn't realized it then, too struck by her words and the truth behind them. Had he known, even back then? Had there been some part of him that acknowledged the inherent selfishness and cruelty of his actions? He hoped there was. It made everything a little more bearable.

Sartorius was talking. Probably rambling on about destiny, as he was wont to do.

' Like I used to.' Aster thought sardonically.

Or maybe he was just gloating, dangling the truth over Aster's head, waiting to rub salt into his wounds.

' Tory wouldn't do that.' Sartorius was slowly walking forward. Or maybe, it was that Aster's eyes couldn't quite catch up to what they were seeing. Everything seemed to be coming at him at a slower pace. His very breathing seemed to have even off into steady, slow gulps of air. His heart was pounding in his ears, but it wasn't frantic. It wasn't even accelerated. It was a drumbeat, the sound of an army's confident march towards battle. More yells from overhead; they were so far away. The ceiling was unreachable. It was the sky, a blazing sun blinding him to all the colours around him.

For a moment, Aster swore he felt the earth slow to a halt beneath his feet.

' But that's not Tory, is it?' His mind asked sarcastically. ' Hasn't been Tory for a while now. And like an idiot, I feel for it. Just like I feel for The D's lies. I really am just a fuck-up, aren't I?'

Sartorius was reaching for the key.

' Well, I already knew that, didn't I? I came into this thing knowing that I couldn't win. Hell, I didn't even want to do this, but...' Unbidden, his eyes drifted over to Lia. She was evidently still having her nightmare, because she was still frowning, still sweating, and still unconscious. Despite himself, Aster felt a swell of gratitude go out to her.

' You tried to warn me, babe. You tried to get me to see that what I was doing was wrong. Maybe you were just angry at me, and maybe I didn't want to listen, but you _tried_, and that means the world to me. Thanks for that. Sorry I couldn't be your hero. Jaden will be here soon, so hang on until he saves you, okay?'

Jaden's name stirred something inside of him and Sartorius' taunt came back to him at a sluggish pace.

" _There is only one whose love matters."_

He'd bet his entire career that it was Jaden.

' It's always been him, hasn't it?' He thought, an echo of his previous notions coming back to him. This time though, there was no jealousy, no anger. Just a calm acceptance, a serenity that came over him as the knowledge struck home.

' It's always been Jaden, right from the very start. He's a good guy. Strong. Nice. You coulda done worse, babe. I just wish I coulda been your hero, just once.'

He remembered her eyes in that tunnel; the new stars that had been born in them.

' At least you looked at me like that once. At least I got that far.'

" _Because if you're there Lia, then it'll have meaning. I don't need a destiny if you'll let me fight for you."_

' I didn't. For just a little while, I didn't need a destiny. Thanks for that. Thanks for giving me so much. I'm bad at repaying you. I can't even save you right now. The one thing I could give you, you don't even want. I'm glad you're asleep; I don't think I want you to see this. Maybe it's better that this is where we part ways. You'd've never wanted to know how I feel. You like me alright, but I'm not Jaden. My love doesn't matter.'

Something odd was happening. Disk Commander had vanished and Dasher was standing in his place. Sartorius had started to back up, looking shocked. The world still felt like it was standing still, but, as though they were disconnected from him, he saw his arms move. It didn't frighten him nearly as much as it should have. He kept his eyes on Lia. Or was it that his eyes were closed and he was picturing her in his mind? If he was picturing her, then he didn't want to see her lying comatose and bothered. He wanted her smile. If he was going to fail, then selfishly, he wanted to see her smiling at him.

The image of her shifted suddenly, and he was back on the grass, the sun lighting her up and his heart pounding with love.

' You're beautiful.' He told the image of her face. ' You're beautiful and angry and a bit broken, and I want to be the one to fix you. I want to help you, and make you see just how gorgeous you are, and I want to take pictures with you until your camera runs out of memory. I love you. I'm impossibly, stupidly in love with you. And I'll never tell you, because it doesn't matter.'

" _You love him you dumbass!"_

' Yeah, I love Sartorius. I loved The D too. I loved them, but wasn't enough, was it? My love couldn't save Tory, and it couldn't save you, and it was wasted on The D. No matter how much I love, it always comes up short. I can't even make you love me back.'

The Empress was gone and Dasher was blasting The Fiend into pixilated bits. His body was moving without his say so, a voice at the back of his head shouting through the cotton that must be stuffed in his ears. The world shifted, just the slightest bit.

' But that wasn't what this was about.' He frowned. Before him, Lia kept smiling. ' I didn't want to make you love me. I want you to, but dueling Sartorius wasn't about making you fall for me. It was about...It was about...'

There was a flash, not obscuring Lia's face, but somewhere off to the side. A rain drenched image, an umbrella, soft voices whispering...

' I wanted to fight him because I wanted to fight for _you_.' The world shifted again, more violently this time. The rain from the picture got louder. Lia's eyes began to burn brighter.

' I wanted to fight for you because I love you. '

Grinding, the gears forcibly turning now. Soft words, a thank you, assuaging guilt and tender hope. Purple eyes vivid and bright, but kind, not burning but filled with tears. A named shortened into a childish label. The flash of his cards before his eyes.

' It has nothing to do with my ego, or trying to be a hero. I knew I couldn't be a hero. I knew that I couldn't be _your_ hero. But I wanted to fight for you because I love you.'

The Fiend was back on Sartorius' field. There was a slow push under his feet, like sand being washed away as he walking along the beach.

' Just like I loved Sartorius. Just like I loved my father. Just like I still love them both.' His eyes widened. ' Maybe it _was_ about my ego, but it wasn't always. I vowed revenged because I loved my father. And I wanted to save Sartorius because I loved him. I still do.'

The World materialized behind Sartorius. The earth under his feet shifted again, more solidly now. The rain-splattered image grew dimmer, but he could make out hands, two sets, clasped on an umbrella handle. His heart leapt into his throat as he finally recognized the memory.

' It wasn't because I wanted to play hero. I didn't tell myself that Sartorius being in danger justified my father's death! I believed they were interconnected, and I thought that if I saved Tory, I'd be able to...to...to...'

" _You got to say goodbye and that's more than I ever got."_

Plasma exploded into being at his side. The world spun into motion around him. The words tumbled from his lips.

" I'd be able to say goodbye to my dad!"

Sartorius blinked, put off by the sudden vocalization. Ghostly hands patted his shoulders, and Aster didn't need to turn around to know who was standing at his back.

' _I trust you.'_ Came an ephemeral whisper, and Aster felt warmth spring to his fingertips.

" What?" The Sartorius across from him demanded.

" It wasn't about being the hero! And it wasn't about justifying his death!" Aster shouted as Plasma opened his wings, streamers of red and black encircling The World as Plasma stole half its lifepoints.

" It was about saying goodbye! It was about letting go! It was about being able to love my dad without any complications!" He placed D-Force face-up on his deck. Plasma surged forward to attack.

" It was about love! It's always been about that! Loving my dad, loving you! That's it, that's all! I wanted to save you because I love you! I wanted to avenge Dad because I love him! Whatever it turned into, whatever it became to lead us here, it was about love at the beginning and it's about love now!"

Sartorius negated the attack, but Aster was already pulling D-Burst from his Grave. Plasma dropped to 2450 points, and a rain of red slammed into Sartorius.

" Even..." Aster panted, feeling drained. To his shock, Plasma turned slighting, looking at him out of cold red eyes. Another memory, of a cybernetic world and Two Sarina's and Jaden's strangely friendly monsters, danced in front of his eyes.

" Even if I fail...Even if I fall...I didn't want to be the hero, Tory. I wanted you save you because I love you."

There were lights shining down now, blue and red and green, and Sartorius looked distorted, his face warped and his eyes inhuman. He was speaking, but the sound of his voice made Aster's ears scream in protest. The lights were converging now, bleeding into the signature white that Aster had come to hate. But a warm, comforting weight settled around his shoulders. At his back, a soft, steady heartbeat sounded.

' _I love you too, Aster. My dear, dear friend. My first friend. Thank you, for trying so hard. Thank you for loving me enough to come this far. I'm sorry for all this. I am so, so sorry.'_

" No, it's okay." The pillar of white was slowing spreading outwards, consuming everything in its path. At the dead center stood a shadow figure, backlit by the light and impossible to make out. " It's alright. I don't mind it going down like this. I don't mind it. You're here with me, so it's okay."

' _But...your father...'_

Aster closed his hand over the ghostly wrist.

" He's right here with me."

As the light(or was it the _Light_? He didn't know, and he didn't care to)reached out to him, several things happened in rapid succession.

The door behind him was thrown open.

A blur of crimson skidded to a stop next to Lia.

A soft, silvery haze seemed to overtake the world not drowned out by the light.

The Light In Sartorius hissed something awful.

And Lia sat straight up.

This was the final sign that everything was alright for Aster. This was the final omen that it truly was alright to 'go down like this'. Sartorius, the real Sartorius, at his back, Jaden looking at him out of fathom-deep eyes that seemed to burn gold under the shadows cast by the fringes of his bangs, and Lia alive and well beside him.

And, perhaps as one last mercy, as he was lost behind the curtain of whiteness, Lia's eyes sought none but his own, and what was reflected in them made Aster lightheaded with hope for the future.

* * *

_God_ that was cheesy! Originally, it was going to be about Aster slowly getting his confidence back as he dueled, but I realized that it didn't make sense to do that. After all, what was motivating him? The fact that he was winning? Then him losing would've destroyed him, comletely. No, what Aste needed was to come to a different revelation; he had to realize that, win or lose, his own sense of heroics don't really matter if he doesn't put his heart into it. Aster needed to be removed from the idea that he's supposed to be 'the hero' and just be a boy who's trying to do the impossible because he loves someone.

I personally think that's better. Forget a destined hero. Give me someone who doesn't know their fate, and is still willing to try. In fact, give me someone who KNOWS they're not the chosen one, and still goes into battle because they know they have to do what's right. Give me a Neville Longbottom.

And uh, yeah. The Power of Love (oh god, bad Sailor Moon dubs are flashing before my eyes). I wrote it. I'm still not quite sure how. This chapter is a bit of a blur for me. I wrote The Power of Love. Huh.

And no matter good or bad, Aster is Sartorius' puppet, hah!

Yeah, Tory's still in there (I wanted Aster to have an adorable, childhood nickname for Sartorius), controlling the duel while Aster ponders the meaning of life and his place within. Aster, sweetie, please don't get so existential in the middle of a life-or-death situation. It makes you a bigger target.

Next time, the Light vs. Jaden duel gets under way!

MoS


	61. Rising Curtains

Warnings: Confusion. You will be confused. My aim is to make you go "...What just happened?"

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

Lia was moving before anyone really registered what was going on.

" _Aster!_" Came her horrified scream as the column of light swallowed up his form. She race towards it, but as she reached out to touch it, she was flung back by some invisible force. She ricocheted back into an on-coming Hassleberry, who grabbed a hold of her to keep her up right.

" Easy there, Miss Lia ma'am. You look lahke you've been through hell."

But Lia was already shoving him off, stumbling forward against the wall of light that separated the group from the pro duelist.

" Aster..." She whispered in horror as a muted scream came from the center of the column.

" Th' hell's goin' on?" Jesse snapped, even as Lia started uselessly pounding her fist against the column.

" Aster! Aster, where are you?" Her fist was starting to turn red. " C'mon, answer me!"

" That's pointless."

If Lia noticed the infuriating calmness and borderline apathy in Jaden's tone, she certainly didn't show it. Instead, she turned pleading, tear-filled eyes on him.

" Bring him back." She whispered. Neither Hassleberry nor Jesse had ever heard the girl sound so weak. At Jaden's side, his lips pressed together in a grim line, Syrus refused to meet anyone's eyes.

Jaden shook his head.

" It's not my place."

" That's not what I'm asking!" Lia snarled, stomping over to glare into his face. " Bring him back."

" I can't. There are _rules_ in place here."

" Fuck 'em." Lia hissed. From under his bangs, Jaden glared at her.

" You know that's impossible."

" So _make_ it possible."

" Listen-"

" No, _you _listen!" She jabbed a finger at his nose. He eyed it with a bored look, something that didn't sit right with any member of the group. Then again, nothing about the day had been normal, from Jaden's duel with Ojin to Alexis' one-man showdown with every member of the Society (and Syrus trying hard to avoid Zane's eyes as he darted through the path Alexis had made) to Aster's sound defeat. The universe had been turned on its head, and nothing was making sense anymore.

" You fix this. You fix everything. And you bring him back. _Right now_."

" If you would just stop and think about what you're asking-"

" I don't see you fixing!"

Jaden, to their shock, grit his teeth in frustration.

" Have you forgotten everything? I can't interfere, not here! There are rules about this sort of thing that even _I_ can't get around!"

Lia's fingers curled around the lapels of Jaden's jacket, unheeding of his dark tone. She wasn't looking at his face, finding her shoes suddenly very interesting. But when she spoke, despite her hair covering her face, her tears were evident.

" _Please._" She breathed. And the world held its breath as it waited for an answer.

Jaden was spared from giving one, however, when the light column receded and Aster stumbled back, trembling from head to toe. Jesse and Hassleberry gasped, but Syrus was already moving to steady Lia, who was staring at the pro star out of disbelieving eyes. She stood alone, because Jaden was at Aster's side in the blink of an eye. Faster than anyone could follow, he caught the weakened silver-haired boy and lowered him down to the ground.

" Easy." He said softly, and Aster nodded, clearly lacking the strength to put up a fight. He sank to his knees, Jaden's arm about his back. Lia broke away from Syrus to run over, her eyes frantically scanning Aster for any sign of injury.

" That's not...Tory..." Aster panted out between gasps of breath.

" No, I didn't think so. You're a good judge of character. You wouldn't love him so much if he was like that." Jaden agreed. Aster reached up to touch his chest. He was, oddly enough, smiling softly.

" The real one...my friend...he's right here." He tapped his chest for emphasis. " Right here, with me."

" Good."

" I couldn't..." Aster hacked out a cough. His body shook with the effort, even as Lia crashed to her knees beside the pair. She reached out to touch Aster, her fingers barely brushing his hair, but Jaden stopped her dead with a look that no one else saw. Her hands hung, suspended in the air, grasping at nothing.

Aster's fit subsided, but his shoulders still shook. Jaden's hand came up to hold one steady.

" I couldn't save him."

Thankfully, it didn't sound like a confession. It wasn't said in the same, broken tone that Aster had used in the rain drenched room that was now somewhere far above them all. (Ironic. Sartorius waxing on and on about the Light and the sun and burning away all darkness, and where had he chosen to have his showdown? In the very bowels of his stronghold, the deepest dungeon of his castle. He'd dragged them all down into an underworld to try and bring forth the Light, and if that wasn't amusing, then nothing was. If nothing else, it was the most beautiful piece of irony any of them had seen in a good long while). Aster's voice was not that of a person who had given up all hope. It was merely stating a fact.

Tired, but firm blue eyes looked at Jaden.

" I hate to do this to you. I hate to put this on your shoulders. But..."

The hand on Aster's shoulder gave a reassuring squeeze.

" I understand completely." For the first time, Jaden's voice sounded warm. It didn't sound quite like him (too old and too strong and too sure. It had none of his usual hyperactivity and gusto, but it was so much more powerful that it almost hurt to listen to.), but the change was still welcome.

Though no one but Aster saw it, Jaden offered him a smile so much like his normal self that it put Aster at ease immediately. Jaden inclined his head.

" Please, leave the rest to me."

Aster gave a grin of his own, a shade of his cockiness and charm shining through.

" Go get 'im, bro."

And then, to the horror of all those watching, Aster exploded into a rain of sand, soft golden grains sliding in between Jaden's fingers to form a pile on the pale blue carpet.

" What the Sam Hill-"Hassleberry started, but cut himself off as he pressed a hand over his mouth. He looked rather green. Syrus grimaced, and studiously ignored as Jesse dry-heaved on his knees, pale with terror and shock. The blue-haired Ra paused next to Jaden, never taking his eyes off of the insanely grinning Sartorius, whose eyes had gone from burning to blaze, a pin-prick of white at the dead center of each pupil.

All of the boys paid Lia no mind. She made no noise, either to throw up or to cry, but her eyes didn't leave the pile of sand, and her hands stayed where they were. Like startled birds, they fluttered in the air, grabbing at something that was no longer there.

" Jaden." Was all Syrus said. The Slifer in question quietly rose from his knees, dusting off his pants as he went. He stared, unreadable, down at the sand pile for a moment longer, before his bangs hid his eyes once more. Wordlessly, his duel disk activated.

" So, you've finally come to fight?" Sartorius looked delighted. Then again, the morbidly euphoric smile hadn't left his face since the end of his and Aster's duel. If he had been intimidating before, then it was almost impossible to look at once the Light had completely taken over. His pale skin was nearly lost behind shadow, darkness cast by the unholy stretching of his lips into a grin that had no place on a human face. His eyes were shrunk, pupils almost invisible in a sea of white, a single speck gleaming at the dead center. His hair stood on end, flaring out like his coattails.

He looked insane.

He looked inhuman.

He looked like the Light of Destruction, given human form.

Beneath the shade of his bangs, Jaden scowled.

" Both you and that girl. Such faces you make. Such anger. Really, are my goals so heinous? I want to bring peace to the world. I want people to be safe and _happy_. Yet you look at me as though I were a _criminal_. It wounds a helpful, tender soul like mine deeply."

There was no response, but the same pressure that had gathered with the storm outside rose in the room. Lia made her first sound since Aster had collapsed into sand: a soft, breathless whimper.

" No witty come back? No snarky reply? Jaden, you disappoint me. You always seem to have a response for your opponents, and yet here we are; this awful silence hanging between us."

Jaden slid his cards into the slot on the disk.

" I suppose you're upset with me." Sartorius shrugged. " You always seem so surprised when it comes down to this. Please don't act so unnerved. It's annoying. After all, one way or another, we always meet like this."

There was a faint glow around the statue, but no one paid it any mind. They were too enthralled by the dueling pressures that had flooded the room, choking off the air. Sartorius keeping grinning his unholy grin and Jaden kept refusing to rise to the bait of the older man's taunts. The violet eyes drifted over the gathered group, falling on the pile of sand behind Jaden. The grin stretched out, just a little. Pointed canines gleamed in the unnatural light around them.

" I understand." The voice was dropping too, a lower octave. There seemed to be two voices speaking at once, one sounding just under the other, overlapping in a strange, distorted cacophony.

" You're angry with me because of what I've done." A brow raised in mock surprise. " Really, Jaden, what did you expect? There is always collateral in this sort of confrontation-"

Even if Jaden hadn't risen to the bait (and his head shot up, eyes narrowed dangerously, scowl darkening his whole face until his form seemed to glow. Jaden was burning just as brightly as Sartorius, if anyone had looked close enough to notice. His light was a different one though, and the pressure he exuded was less stifling as it was commanding and calm), someone else did.

Sartorius hit the floor as a green and brown blur barrelled into him. The two bodies bounced as they crashed downwards. For one, shining moment, all the superiority in Sartorius' face vanished behind his stunned confusion. Above him, Lia snarled in fury, twisting one hand into his collar. She half yanked the pale purple scarf at his neck out of where it was tucked into his shirt collar. Her other hand, her left one, curled into a fist high above her head.

With a wordless shout, she brought it crashing down into Sartorius' face.

There was a thundering crack as his head was slammed back down to the floor from the force of the blow.

And then she did it again.

And again.

And again.

Before the fifth punch could make contact, a dark hand closed around Lia's wrist and pulled. Lia was lifted off of the still Sartorius and fell back against Hassleberry, who encircled her waist as she started to struggle to escape. Grunting when her elbow dug into his side but not letting go, the army brat hauled her away from the psychic.

" Lia!" He snapped. " That's enough!"

" Lemme go! Lemme _go_!" She kicked at Sartorius before Hassleberry could force her out of range. " Let me go now, Hassleberry!"

" This ain't the way t' settle it!"

" The hell it isn't!"

" Punchin' his lahghts out won't do ya any good!"

" Oh yes it will! It fucking will!"

" It won't change anything!"

" Hassleberry, you drill sergeant wannabe, you let me go this instant!"

" Lia, it won't do anehthing, so just calm th' hell down and-"

" _For fuck's sake, let me __**kill him!**_"

The words rang out. Every member of the group froze, staring horrified at Lia's narrowed eyes. Even Jaden turned his head slightly to glance at her.

Laughter made them jump.

Sartorius was climbing to his feet, blood leaking from his split lip. The beginnings of bruises were forming on his face, and one of his eyes appeared to be swelling a little. He reached up, and wiped the blood from his lips on the back of his hand.

" You haven't changed at all, have you?" Those eyes sought hers again, and somehow, she didn't flinch away. The light by the statue swam warm and red, giving the figure a rosy glow. Sartorius made a show of adjusting his coat and dusting off his sleeves. He gave a forced sigh, only half looking at Lia's rigid form, trapped in Hassleberry's arms.

" One hundred and eight times we've met...and you haven't changed one little bit. You're as selfish and cruel as you were that day..." He leaned forward, suddenly far too close for comfort, and ran his fingers along her jaw. " You never learn, do you?"

Lia spat in his face.

For the second time, Sartorius' smug aura was shattered by his surprise. The break in his power gave Hassleberry the opening he needed to haul Lia back to where Jesse and Syrus stood, behind Jaden. With a disgusted sneer, Sartorius rubbed the residue off with the cuff of his white sleeve. Lia renewed her struggled, growling like a wild animal.

" Let me go, I want to kill him! I want to rip him open with my bare hands, _the fucker!_"

" Have you always been this foul-mouthed, or that a recent acquisition?" The man asked casually, though the look he gave her was anything but.

" I tear your fucking throat open, I swear to God I will!"

" You've made that threat before."

" I'll hurt you in ways you didn't know existed!" She writhed like a wild cat. " I'll drag you to the edge of death and _hold you there!_"

A cold smile.

" _I'll gut you like a fucking fish, you motherfucking sonovabitch-_"

" Enough."

And hand suddenly patted her on the top of her head, ruffling her unruly curls. Jaden stood before her, finally facing her. There was a soft smile on his face, his eye barely open. What could be seen of them glowed a deep gold, warm and inviting and tender. The hand on her head patted twice more, before reaching down to push a lock of hair out of her eyes. As he tucked the hair behind her ear, Jaden let his hand brush her cheek.

" Calm down, there's nothing to worry about." His head tilted to the side. " I'm here now."

He patted her cheek once, and then spun to face Sartorius. As he turned, he flung out his right arm. There was a flash of something silver, and then the second satellite key landed on the outstretched hand of the statue. Fittingly, it was the right hand. Unnoticed behind him, Lia slipped to the ground, staring at his back in rapt fascination. Jaden stopped where Aster had last stood, staring at Sartorius with flashing eyes. The sand was gone. The pressures made the air heavy. Jesse gulped, Hassleberry gulped, and Syrus took a deep breath, glancing up at the left hand of the statue, where Aster's limp body lay. It wasn't the moment for rescue. Sartorius was still too focused on what he thought was his trump card. They'd have to wait until the duel was under way.

" So you've decided to concede? How unlike you." Sartorius raised a glowing hand. " No matter. The keys are mine!"

Something rather odd happened as Sartorius let the glow that was encompassing his hands shoot out, aiming at the twin bits of metal that sat in the right hand of the statue. Jaden's shoulders slumped with a sigh too quiet to be heard under the roar of the Light rushing towards Its goal. The boy in red then raised his right hand, glanced at the statue, and snapped his fingers.

A bubble of a silvery substance came into being around the keys seconds before the white glow reached them. The glow curved around the bubble, unable to penetrate it. It swerved, and writhed, and slammed into the orb, but the silver substance gave nothing. With a grating sound that made everyone but Jaden fall to their knees and cover their ears (save for Lia, who was still staring at Jaden as though in a trance, one hand fisted in the lace on her tank top), the glow retreated back to surround Sartorius. The man twitched, enraged confusion darkening his features.

He opened his mouth, no doubt to demand an explanation for the temporary foiling of his plans, but Jaden cut him off.

" You've gone too far."

The bubble suddenly pushed outwards, surrounding the entire hand with its light. Sartorius' teeth began to grind.

" You've pushed me past the point of endurance, and now you have to face the consequences."

" So you're finally going to fight?"

Jaden offered him a cold look.

" There are things even _I_ can't ignore. Crimes you've committed that you need to pay for." His eyes narrowed until they were slits. " People you've hurt that need to be avenged."

" You sound like Aster. You and my dear old friend are quite the pair. Two boys, with the power to defy their destiny..."

A low growl sounded, and Jesse jumped as he realized it was coming from Jaden.

" You," the boy spat, " are _not_ Sartorius Nevin. You are the slayer of all things. You are the fall of worlds and the wreck of matter. You are the song that sounds at the end of the world. It's your nature, but you've overstepped the boundaries set for you. You've tipped the balance."

The eyes that reflected the inhuman creature's true face lit up with elation. Sartorius swept himself into a low bow, his duel disk activated as he met Jaden's infuriated gaze.

" I greet you, son of a kingdom now lost."

Jaden barely nodded his head.

" And I greet you, Manus Deletoris."

As one, they raised their disks. The world spun to a halt. The room held its breath. Blood dripped from between Lia's fingers, and Syrus' eyes never left Aster's unconscious form.

" _Duel!_"

* * *

" Kick some ass!"

Cyber Tutu flew across the room to land a devastating kick in the chest of one of the Society members. The girl went down with an indignant shriek, her monsters fading out. Alexis pumped her fist in the air.

" Alright!" She grinned a feral grin into the dwindling crowd. " Who's next?"

" You're unusually fired up." Came Zane's voice from behind her. They stood, back to back, Alexis bright and burning and Zane dark as night, one grinning and the other scowling. All around them lay members of the Society of Light, swirly-eyed and defeated, they cards scattered around them.

Alexis laughed, and pointed Etoile Cyber in the direction of another opponent.

" What can I say? I'm all fired up and ready to go. My heart's _pounding._"

Zane hummed in thought, his Dark Cyber monsters growling as they attacked.

" Don't get carried away."

" Look who's talking! You're the one who all hopped up on this 'dark path' of yours! Don't go casting stones, Mister Glass House!"

Cyber Dakini slashed her way through three members. Cyber Dark Horn downed another two. Zane scoffed, and Alexis laughed.

While the world hung in the balance and titans the likes of which they could never comprehend clashed below them, Alexis and Zane leaned into each other's warmth and ordered their monsters to attack again.

" I think I can hear your heart from here." Zane mused. " It really _is_ pounding. Could you keep it down? It's wrecking my focus."

" That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. If you can't handle the noise, get out of the duel arena." Alexis playfully punched him in the arm. She paused for a moment at the contact, and then a slow, mischievous grin crept up onto her face. " Or maybe...I should just pay you back."

Maybe it was the adrenaline rushing through her system. Maybe it was seeing Jaden and feeling that wonderful push of power that had surrounded him since he'd dueled Ojin. Maybe it was the surge of confidence that came from the fact that the Light had challenged her, and she was _winning_.

For whatever reason, Alexis turned, grabbed a fistful of hair, and hauled Zane down for a kiss.

The noise of the fighting faded to a muted buzz. Alexis lost herself in the silkiness of his hair (even as her fingers pulled mercilessly at it but hey, if his outfit was anything to go by, he was probably into that sort of thing), the laughable give of his lips (he was stunned; she'd finally caught him off guard), and the warmth radiating off of him that was pure Zane, no matter how much he tried to hide it under a cold glare and black clothing.

Alexis pressed just a little harder, her newly recovered memory guiding her forward, and pressed herself completely to him for a moment. Boldly, she swiped her tongue along his lower lip, and then pushed with it just enough to press the tip into his own mouth. Zane let out a startled breath of air that ended in a strangled little sound of pleasure.

Alexis pulled back, satisfied.

" There! Now you can't complain about my heart because I can hear _yours_ going!" She turned back to face her opponents, leaving a stunned, blushing Zane Trusedale in her wake. He stared at her back, not quite comprehending what had just happened. A wayward attack from a Society member hit him in the side of the head, and he nearly went over flat, flailing his arms to keep upright. Alexis, slapped another card onto her disk, grinned her manic grin, and sent Tutu rushing forward again.

" C'mon, boys and girls! I'm raring to go! There's a fire in my belly and you're all about to get _burned!_"

* * *

More Latin! Yay!

Manus Deletoris - Hand of the Destroyer. I think I'm just on a Latin kick right now, because there's more to come.

And the rules. There are rules. I am not going to explain these rules, because that would be spoilerific.

Yes, Lia just beat the SHIT out of the Light of Destruction, for all the good it did her.

And a Royalshipping kiss. Which, if you've paid close attention, you know is actually their THIRD kiss, technically.

Next time, the storm comes to a head, the players gather, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance!

MoS

Lia: When are you going to let me friggin TALK?

When I have more time.


	62. Turning Tides

Warnings: ...More mindscrew. I've gotten rather good at that, haven't I?

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

" Outta a morbid sense o' curiosity, are tarot cards ruined fo' anyone else, or 's'at just me?"

" No, no, they're definitely ruined."

" Tell me about it, soldier. This creep has single-handedly ruined fortune telling booths forever!"

" The horror."

" Yer sarcasm ain't appreciated, Trusedale."

" Gahys, he's tryin' t' psyche Jay out."

" They all do that. Give it a few minutes, it'll pass."

" The Sarge doesn't look so good, though."

" Hassleberry's got a point. Jaden's been actin' weird for the last li'l whahle, don'cha agree?"

" Well-"

" An' don't tell me it's stress, or fear, or whatever. Ah may not've been around as long as you boys, but even _Ah_ can tell that there's something up with Jay."

" Yeah, Trusedale! The Sarge has been actin' funny, and I don't mean in the knock-knock-joke sense. He's gone all quahet and cold. It ain't rahght! That ain't the Sarge I know!"

" I know. I know, okay?"

" Whah aren't ya mo' freaked out 'bout this?"

" It's...hard to explain."

" Well, make it easier, soldier."

" Look this isn't...it's not the first time this has happened."

" What, evil gods of death just drop outta the skah now?"

" No, Jesse, but..."

" Quite stalling, Prahvate Trusedale!"

" Do you really think this is the first time we've had to save the world?"

" ..."

" ..."

" ..."

" ...What are ya talkin-"

" I know Jesse wasn't here for it last year, but Damnit Hassleberry, we _told_ you about the Beasts!"

" ...The beasts?"

" What does that have ta do with this?"

" The Beasts?"

" You'd be surprised, Hassleberry. Then again, you're definitely the 'brawn' in this outfit, so..."

" The _Beasts?_"

" What was that, Trusedale? Ya wanna start somethin', midget?"

" That's Chazz's nickname and you can't use it."

" Watch me!"

" I'll tell him and then you'll have to deal with his tantrum."

" I can take Princeton just _fahne_! I can take _ya_ too, so ya'd betta watch yer mouth!"

" I'll take my chances."

" Quit smirkin', Trusedale! It don't suit ya."

" _The Sacred __**Beasts?**_"

" Ya catch on quick, huh Anderson?"

" Shut up! Are y'all seriousleh trahying ta tell me that...that y'all...with those...what?"

" The Sacred Beasts were released last year-"

" An' Ah _missed it_?"

" You an' me both, North Boy."

" _If_ you two could _focus_ for a moment."

" Gah! When'd you learn ta glare lahke that, Sahrus?"

" He's been practicin' all year."

" Both of you. Quiet."

" ..."

" ..."

" Like I was saying, the Sacred Beasts were released last year. Jesse, stop looking so heartbroken, it wasn't as much fun as you're thinking it was."

" Still woulda been awesome ta see 'em."

" Uh, yeah, no. I'll describe them for you: Big, terrible, and trying to kill you. Not awesome."

" _Sounds_ awesome."

" Well, tell you what. Next time, _you_ can have your soul taken by them, and spend weeks entrapped in the darkness while they roar about how they're going to rend you limb of limb and then devour the pieces!"

" Sahrus?"

" Trusedale?

" Because that's what they did! That's all they did! Night and day- though it was pointless to try and tell one from the other, because time had no meaning in that place! All there was was that crushing darkness, pushing down on you, squeezing you until you think you're going to pop! You think your blood's gonna start bubbling out of your pores, and when it doesn't you wish it did, because anything that takes your mind off of those _words_...! And your ears are ringing so bad that they sting, and you don't know what's up and what's down, or where anything is! You don't even know what's a part of you, and what's just more darkness! There's just nothing! The black stretches on forever and you slowly get absorbed into it, and the very second you think you might be safe, that you're one with the darkness and you don't exist anymore, those roars pull you back from the edge and break you all over again!"

" ..."

" ..."

" So don't tell me how _awesome_ it would be to see the Sacred Beasts in action. They are sadistic, vicious bastards who deserved the beating Jaden gave them."

" ...Jay?"

" That's what I was trying to get at. We've saved the world before, and by we, I mean Jay, and he was like this then too. All...all quiet and stuff. He got all calm, and he wasn't joking like he usually does in duels. He was just...calm. But not calm. Like...Like..."

" Like the dead center of a storm." A new voice joined them. All three boys leapt in surprise. At the arena, a ring of white fire lit up around the two duelists. A translucent column shot up, cutting them off from the other. Both Hassleberry and Jesse cried out in dismay, but Syrus said nothing. He pressed his lips together and stared hard at Jaden's back, but he said nothing. His gray eyes shone almost the same colour as the bubble that still surrounded the satellite keys, gleaming behind his glasses. Jaden seemed to register the eyes, because he tilted his head back to look at the other boy for a split second. A shiver went down Syrus' spine, but he held that gaze.

He'd seen it before.

At the impossible end of an endless darkness, over the earth-rumbling roars of soul-eating monsters, he'd seen those eyes behind the hand reaching out for him. Those eyes had saved him; had given him hope right when his was about to run out. Those eyes were to be trusted, that much Syrus was sure of.

Even if they did scare the living hell out of him.

(Too old, too weary, too strong. Those eyes weren't the eyes of a sixteen-year-old boy. They weren't even the eyes of a man. No human had such eyes. Just as the Light made the eyes of all Its victims burn with that awful intensity, so too did whatever it was that had awoken in Jaden. The golden eyes burned, not sucking the life from Jaden's face, but giving life to everything around him. Colour seemed brighter, shadows seemed deeper; the world blazed into vibrant, precious life whenever Jaden's eye began to shine.)

Jaden tipped his head a little, and Syrus quietly shuffled forward.

Wordlessly, he obeyed the silent request and kneeled down at Lia's side. She hadn't moved since Jaden had started dueling, paying no mind to the blasts of attacks and the explosions of monsters. Syrus touched her shoulder, and it did no good. She was transfixed on Jaden.

" Lia." The Ra boy whispered.

" He's the eye of the storm." Lia continued explaining, as if nothing had interrupted her. Within the Light Barrier, Shining Flare Wingman dropped down to 2500 attack points. The silver bubble shrunk a little bit, and Jaden's scowl deepened. Somewhere off to the side, Sartorius laughed, gloating over his move. Jesse and Hassleberry spat insults at him, and Lia's eyes didn't once waver. Syrus wasn't even sure she was blinking.

" The wind is all around him, the clouds are dark, but the rain never touches him. He stands at the one calm point, and no matter how close we are to him, no matter how much we want to get to him, we can't touch him."

A shroud of filmy white energy surrounded the grinning Sartorius. His pupils had nearly vanished behind the orbs of white in each of them.

Lia let a soft, sad smile cross her face.

" We can't touch him, no matter how much we want to."

Syrus glanced down at her clenched fist. A disturbing amount of blood was dripping from it. He grimaced, and took her shoulder again, this time with more force.

" Lia. Maybe you should leave."

She didn't answer him. He shook her a little.

" Lia, you're bleeding." Behind him, Hassleberry had evidently had enough of sitting still and waiting, because he was racing up the steps towards the left hand of the statue, Jesse shouting after him. The second he reached the landing, he launched himself over the bubbling pool of lava and onto the hand, tipping the statue to the left. Lazily, Jaden raised his hand, and, as Hassleberry hauled Aster out of danger, the satellite keys lifted to rest on the very top of the Arcana statue. They glimmered on the top of her head like gems in a bejewelled crown. Syrus heard Sartorius hissed, and Jaden's far-too-calm voice answer.

" You understand nothing about true balance. Don't try to act wiser than you really are."

' Stones and glass houses, Jay.' Syrus thought to himself. He didn't notice hazel eyes snapping away from Jaden to watch Hassleberry help a delirious Aster down the stairs. ' You aren't normally like this, so how do I know you aren't just _acting_ all cool. Then again...' His eyes drifted to the silvery light around the keys, and the brilliance of the room that wasn't dimmed by the burning of the Light.

' Somehow, I don't all that's part of an act.'

Lia whimpered again. Syrus looked at her sharply. Her eyes were a little less glazed than they'd been, her skin a little more flushed. She wasn't staring at Jaden anymore either. Her hazel eyes were watching Hassleberry carefully rest Aster against the railing. The unnerving, almost hypnotized look in her eyes was gone. In its place was a hesitant, tender look that Syrus was sure wouldn't sit well with Atticus. The oveprotectiveness of the older Rhodes sibling had skyrocketed as of late. The way Lia was looking at Aster couldn't be considered platonic by any stretch of the imagination. It said too much, ran too deep, pulled too tightly at Syrus' heart for it to be platonic. The very heart of the girl was reflected in Lia's eyes as she looked at Aster for the one moment.

It made Syrus uncomfortable, like he was reading her diary, or snooping on her computer. Lia was a naturally private person. She'd opened up remarkable since the first time he'd met her (the memory of her unsure arms wrapping around him made his flush. Despite how awkward it had been, it meant the world to him that she'd been willing to try and comfort him in his time of need. And the absolute fury in her face every time she came into contact with Zane afterwards made him happy as well. Perhaps it wasn't as much of a mystery why she got along so well with Atticus as people liked to believe. Both of them were passionate, protective people, who would destroy anyone who raised a hand in violence against them and theirs. People simply couldn't understand why a flirt like Atticus and a prude like Lia seemed to gravitate towards one another, but Syrus thought it has less to do with their actions and more to do with the thoughts behind those actions. Both Atticus and Lia, even though she would die before admitting it, put their hearts into their feelings. When they hurt, they hurt completely, and often hurt others in the process. When they loved, the loved _big_. And Syrus felt honoured to be lucky enough to have been loved like that not once, but _twice_ in his life), but there were still things she kept close to her chest.

Boys were certainly one of those things.

Part of the reason he'd never said anything, and convinced Jaden and Hassleberry to never say anything, about Lia's weekend retreat to her room after Bastian joined the Society was because he knew there was nothing to say. Lia's heart had been broken, and kind words and ice cream weren't going to make it better. More than anything, Lia had her pride, and though she'd cried in front of them before, it had cost her more than she was willing to admit. Syrus, who had never been the most popular guy, knew what it felt like to not be the one. While Jaden never said anything, there was a feeling that when it came to romance he wasn't someone who got unrequited feelings. Jaden was ignorant – but not unlucky.

In that department, Lia and Syrus were cut from the same cloth. They were overlooked, and it hurt. But for someone like Lia, being seen in that kind of a state would hurt even more.

Syrus supposed that it was something of a miracle that he was even allowed to see her eyes as she looked at Aster. He'd never seen that expression in them before, not even when she'd stolen glances at Bastian. It made her look a little older, less like a girl and more like a woman. Syrus didn't exactly think it all through in such a manner, but there was some shape of that thought in his mind as he watched her.

Jaden tried to play R Righteous Justice spell card, but Sartorius blocked it with his Emperor's Staff.

Aster mumbled something, his face flushed as though with a fever.

Jesse yelled something at Jaden, his voice cracking on that last syllable.

A drop of blood dripped to the puddle on the ground.

" Lia..." Syrus whispered, and at last, she looked at him.

" No." Her tired voice said. " Don't you pull an Atty on me, Sy. Not now."

" You're bleeding." He nodded to her chest, but didn't make a move to get her up.

" I always bleed." Hassleberry was shaking Aster, shouting at him to stay awake. The pro star's face was strained, one hand lost in his silver hair. A chill went down Syrus' spine as he saw a flicker of white dance through Aster's eyes.

" He won't lose." Lia whispered, having followed the path of Syrus' gaze. When her fellow Ra just looked at her, Lia gave him a smile that looked like it took far too much effort to put up. " The Light won't get him. It's focused on Jaden."

Neo Spacian Aqua Dolphin landed in a crouch in front of the Slifer.

The Light Barrier card spun.

" Aniki..." The Emperor came into being on Sartorius' side to boost his monsters' points. Jaden watched it all without a hint of an expression on his face. " 'The eye of the storm', huh?"

Lia blinked, the haze settling into her eyes again.

" A storm? That's right, a storm." She leaned into Syrus, angling to whisper in his ear like they were sharing secrets. " You know, I've been dreaming about a storm all year."

" You have?" Bubbleman and Air Hummingbird were gone. Both Jaden and Sartorius had more than 4000 lifepoints, although Syrus was a little lost as to how. He supposed he could blame it on the Light Barrier, at least on Sartorius' side. There was a new face-down by Jaden, but that was all. It should've been worrying, but Syrus didn't feel apprehensive. He felt calm, as calm as Jaden looked. As calm as they were all starting to look; Jesse's face was relaxing as Hassleberry let a small smirk pull at his lips. Aster's eyes grew sharper and he smiled at Jaden, while Lia leaned on the hand not clutching her tank top to stay balanced as she whispered in Syrus' ear.

" All year. A great big storm. I'm standing on a cliff, and there's a black, black ocean in front of me and a desert at my back. There's no sun anywhere, but the desert is so hot. The clouds are black too, and there's lightning everywhere." She was so close that Syrus could feel her breath on his neck. Aqua Dolphin was slain by the Emperor and Jaden was slashed by white scythes of light. He stumbled back a bit, and growled low in his throat, but the calming pressure didn't dissipate in the slightest. If anything, Aster sat up straighter and Syrus felt Lia relax more against him.

" And there's thunder. So loud it shakes the world. Maybe it's roars."

" The thunder roars?" Syrus felt his heart clench in a way the duel hadn't been able to make it.

" I dreamed of you, you know. When you were gone." Lia said seriously. Her nose brushed his ear. " Me and Jay both. We dreamed about you. He told me. Kinda. He was half asleep when he did, and he was burned out from studying, but he told me. You were the moon, being swept out in an ocean of black."

Jaden played Hero Signal to call out Clayman right before The World attacked.

" I wonder if it's the same ocean I keep seeing." Lia finally pulled away from Syrus, staring dreamily at the duel. Syrus suspected that she couldn't really see it. Her hand had loosened, and Syrus frowned at the amount of red her could see.

" Lia." He shrugged off his yellow jacket to put around her shoulders. " Don't you dare pass out from blood loss. Alexis will have my head and I don't think I could handle you falling into another coma."

" There's a tower, rising out of the ocean." Lia continued as if she hadn't heard him. Clayman vanished in an explosion of smoke, and the scythes barreled into Jaden again. " The tower looks white, but it's not. The lightning is white. The tower is silver. It's silver."

" A silver tower..." Involuntarily, Syrus' eyes drifted to the silver ball on top of the Arcana statue. On the field, Jaden played O Over Soul to bring back Sparkman and juiced him up with the H Heated Heart card. The dark blue monster flew to Sartorius and shot a bolt of lightning at The Emperor, who died in a fiery explosion. Lia gulped, the yellow jacket hanging off of her shoulders.

" The lightning is so white. It so burningly, blazingly white and it comes right at me."

" What?" Syrus looked from the duel to Lia. Her eyes were clouded over, darker than they'd been before. She looked past him, past the duel, and straight into the dream that must've been plaguing her all year.

" The lightning strikes me. It comes rushing down, and it's hot and loud and awful, but I always wake up before it hits me. The last thing I see before I open my eyes is this burning white light and I hear the wind screaming in my ears and the storm breaks over the cliff."

The Light Barrier vanished.

And Syrus felt his eyes narrow in suspicion as Lia mirrored Jaden's smirk.

" I have to stay. Whatever happens now, wherever this goes, I have to see it, with my own two eyes."

The World destroyed Sparkman and Jaden activated Hero Counterattack. In a flash of multi-coloured lights, Neos appeared.

" I have to see what happens, my friend." Syrus blinked. Lia had never referred to him as 'my friend' before. Her bangs had fallen into her eyes, hiding the ever darkening orbs from him. " We all do."

Glow Moss shimmered into being.

" We all need to stay right here, because..."

The two Neospacians merged together, and Jaden pointed the new being in the direction of Sartorius.

A shining blue-green orb of energy slammed into Light Barrier and erased it.

" Because..." Lia's voice had dropped until it was almost inaudible.

Glow Neos shot forward, aimed at Sartorius.

" Because?" Syrus prompted. Glow Neos drew back a fist and sent it crashing into Sartorius' face. Syrus was instantly reminded of Lia's own beat-down of the psychic. The man fell to his knees as his lifepoints dropped.

" Because..." Lia smiled, even as Arcana Force One The Magician came to Sartorius' side, its card landing right-side up, it's hollowed out eyes staring at nothing as Jaden glared at the older man.

" This is the eye of the storm."

Syrus jumped. Aster cursed as he tried to haul himself to his feet even as Jesse demanded he be still.

Jaden was blasted from behind with red light, but pressed his Hero Flash on his disk.

" The eye of the-But you said-" Jaden's side of the field lit up with silvery light, and Neos was there, though where Glow Neos had gotten to, Syrus couldn't say. Lia's hand was red, her eyes were in shadow, and her voice sounded too far off for comfort.

" Jaden has drawn us all into the eye. We are at the dead center of it all."

A second strike from a Neospacian had Sartorius' life points down to 600.

" Whatever happens here is most important. Whatever happens here decides the way this storm breaks.

Lia lifted her head at the same time Jaden did. His eyes were a deep, burnished gold as he looked at Sartorius. In the suddenly vibrant room, under the shadows cast by her hair, Lia's eyes looked far darker than their normal hazel.

The column of white light that had defeated Aster was back, Sartorius somehow managing to summon Arcana Force Extra The Light Ruler.

" So stay, my friend."

The Light Ruler descended on Neos.

Somewhere off to the side, Aster shouted an encouragement at Jaden.

Somewhere off to the side, Hassleberry cut a blue streak in the air with his cursing.

Somewhere off to the side, the last remnant of Sartorius Nevin fell to his knees and, unseen, begged for forgiveness.

Somewhere above them, Zane pulled Alexis out of the way of an attack.

Somewhere above them, Alexis sent Dakini to drop kick a Society member before Zane could feel the brunt of the blow from their monster.

Somewhere above them, Chazz stood victorious as the GX Tournament champion.

Winged Kuriboh, invisible to all except a too-frenzied-to-care Jesse, left Jaden's deck to sit on Lia's shoulder.

" Stay and watch as this storm - over an age in the making - finally _breaks._"

* * *

Lia: Okay, that's it! I have tied this bitch up and I am going to talk, damnit!

First of all, there is NOTHING going on between me and Aster, got it? Nothing! Not one single thing! He's just a nicer guy than I thought he was and I'm trying to help him out because he lost his dad too! There's no tension, no matter what you crazies think! Not any!

Second of all, I have no idea what's going on! I'm just as much in the dark as you! MoS keeps writing all this crap that I don't remember happening? Going to the White Dorm and getting strangled by Sartorius? Jaden and me having a moment? I don't remember JACK about this!

And on that note, what's with her fetish with strangling me? That's twice now, and the second time, I was lifted right off the ground! I'm gonna end up with issues at this rate! And I hang out with a guy who saves the world by playing a card game!

Third of all, what's with this 'only one whose love matters' crap? That's so not true it isn't even funny. There's lot of people that I...uh...that I..._care_ about...so...s-so that's just stupid!

Fourth of all, the storm imagery is totally lame! She's trying to be cool and everything and it's pissing me off! Is she trying to write some symbolism into those dreams I keep having? What does the silver tower mean? And since she's _sooo_ set on parallelling me and Jay, does that me our dreams are similar? What the hell?

Fifth of all, holy crap I'm bleeding! Stop making me spout stupid lame-ass metaphorical lines and let me go see a doctor! That's my fucking _life_ gushing out of me right there! What, is my symbolic bullshit more important than, oh, I don't know, _staying conscious_?

Sixth of all, 'My friend'. The hell? Since when did Jay and I start talking like this.

Seven of all, the 'somewhere' is not cleverly artistic. It's lazy and stupid, MoS. Try harder next time.

Eighth of all, that was my favourite hoodie you made me use for bandages, you fucker. You owe me a new one.

Ninth of all, my stealing Aster's duel disk was not cute! It was brave and badass and I'll slap anyone who says otherwise! Especially Chazz! Hell, I'll slap him anyway!

Tenth of all, Lexi, stop being a dumbass! You're gonna take on the _whole_ Society? Atty's gonna flip. And get away from Zane, I dont' want you catching his stupid!

Eleventh of all, stop _STRANGLING _me!

Twelfth of all, you can't write Jay and Jesse, okay? You can't! You write homoeroticism into every line that comes outta their mouths and I'm sick of it! Either go all the way or go home! All or nothing, woman!

Thirteenth of all, _Chazz_ is the pinnacle of human strength? _CHAZZ_?

Fourteenth of all, Aster. Me. NOTHING.

Okay, I think that about covers it. Next time, duel explodes into a volatile end, and the players gather together for one last showdown!

...

Oh _Christ_ now she's got _me_ doing it!

*working off gag* Me thinks the lady doth protest too much.

Lia: Go die in a ditch.

See you next time for the penultimate chapter! I've always wanted to use that word.

MoS


	63. Unnerving Prizes

Warnings: Uuuuh...I'm sorry for this?

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

The moment Jaden played Neospace, it was all over.

Anyone with any sense could see that.

It was more than just his trump card, or his favourite one. When Jaden played Neospace, the entire world seemed to light up, to come alive in a way that couldn't really be understood. Jaden would stand, poised, in the center of gleaming stars and swirling galaxies, smiling gently and pointing his monsters playfully in the direction of his opponents. He was a king on his throne, a general guiding his troops, if such adult monikers could be made to fit someone as childlike as Jaden. They were usually at odds with him (though not as much as they'd once been. Jaden had grown, not unrecognizably, but rapidly, shedding his childhood innocence and trading it for the knowledge to save the world), but in Neospace, they fit him perfectly.

Jaden shone like a red star in the center of his galaxy, the very air around him tinged with his massive energy and heart.

It was just that, as he faced down Sartorius, the huge grin and blinking eyes were missing.

There had been no casual banter, no bored rebuttals of the usual speeches thrown Jaden's way. And he'd had ample amounts to work with, given Sartorius' abuse of the words 'destiny' and 'fate' and 'doom'. It was the sort of thing that would usually have Jaden sniping back, telling his opponent to stop being so serious, and just enjoy himself.

But Jaden had been almost silent the entire duel, only deigning to talk when a card required an explanation. His plays had been down without speech, something that was unprecedented for Jaden. Both Syrus and Lia (sitting on the crowd at the edge of where the light barrier had been; now suspended by a flood of stars and great, black emptiness)were irresistibly reminded of the previous year. Syrus himself, in his mind, wondered if a spirit was going to force their way through to the human world and offer some kind of cryptic message before fading. He hoped not. He didn't think he could handle Atticus' face crumpling into despair again.

All around them, a universe was brought into being, stars swelling red and fiery as they neared their death, and news ones being made from the ashes of the old. An entire galaxy spun lazily somewhere off to the right, slowing twirling through its cycles. A sun glowed golden in the distance, obscured only by the gentle drift of planets across its surface, casting long shadows onto the faces of the humans lucky enough to witness it. By Jaden, colours shifted, not the blinding white of the Light, but other, softer colours. Reds and greens and blues and purples danced about his form as he floated, weightless, unbound by anything. While the others stood or sat, only half aware of the ground still under their feet, Jaden seemed to be divorced from the reality outside of the field card.

He looked like he had been born to stand in the space between light and dark, hovering above the worlds that could never hope to contain him.

" It's beautiful." Jesse whispered reverently. The stars were reflected in his wide eyes. Aster sighed softly.

" You should try going up against it in a duel." He glanced around. " It wasn't quite like this the last time I saw it but..."

He breathed, the air sharper and clearer than it had been in the room. The pressure that seemed to hang around Jaden's every move wasn't so much gone as it was changed, forced into every star and shining through with each passing second. It was no longer a pressure; it was a flow, the steady hum of energy that dashed from star to star. It didn't stifle the humans blessed enough to be caught in the web of galaxies. It freed them, taking away the reality that they were trapped in a white room with a possessed psychic. It shattered the limits of the world they'd left behind the veil of the Neospace card, and breathed new thoughts into their minds.

A pressure?

No, it was life itself.

" Boys, take a gander below us." Hassleberry was staring at his feet, his eyes huge. Jesse and Aster followed his gaze. The northern boy gasped.

" That's-!"

" Wow." Aster agreed with the unfinished statement.

" Helluva view." Hassleberry grinned weakly, stunned by the image.

Below them hung the Earth.

Perfectly blue, covered unevenly with wispy white clouds, their home planet gleamed like a jewel against the black of space around it. Slightly off to the side, the moon hung on like a pale, white marble, shadows dancing over it as it slowly turned. The Earth did the same, hints of green peaking through the clouds as they shifted with the winds far, far below. Somewhere, the tide picked up under the moon's careful guidance. Somewhere, the Earth turned just enough to let the Sun peak over that one horizon. Somewhere, the stars twinkled and formed patterns to be picked out by diligent watchers. Somewhere, one child slept while another woke up to greet the new day. Somewhere, a woman glanced up from her notes, unexplained worry for her daughter piercing her chest. Somewhere, a man stood on a podium, carefully trying to make peace between two nations as an armed woman watched him warmly. Somewhere, a silver-haired man obsessively poured over pictures of glyph-covered rocks, searching for something. Somewhere, a pale woman opened her eyes on a hospital bed, startling the passing nurse, who ran for a doctor as fast as his legs could carry him.

Somewhere, a blonde girl clasped her hand with a dark-haired boy's. Somewhere, a brunet shrugged off the comfort of a black-haired girl as her redheaded friend watched on, puzzled and put-out. Somewhere, a boy in black offered his hand to a disheartened girl, and pulled her back to her feet, not exactly smiling, but not quite smirking either.

A million billion somwheres, the people of the Earth went about their daily lives, never aware of the few gifted with the chance to understand the absolute beauty of it all.

Jaden slapped a card onto his disk, and Neos appeared next to him.

" A predictable place to set the last scene." Sartorius said, looking around. He was clearly unimpressed, something that didn't sit right with any of the gathered group save for maybe Lia, who was starting to list by Syrus' shoulder. Her lids were fluttering at half-mast, and though she was looking at Jaden, it was clear that she wasn't seeing him.

Jaden said nothing, but Grand Mole appeared in a flash of light next to the crouching Neos.

" It's been a long time," the older man said, mocking fondness in his voice, " since I last saw the Aditus Trutinae."

Jaden flicked his wrist, and the two aliens in front of him touched hands. In another flash of light, Elemental Hero Grand Neos stood before the Slifer, one hand hidden under an enormous drill.

Sartorius eyed the new monster, still reminiscing.

" I must say, this place has certainly maintained itself well. Why, I can still see stars! And how blue that tiny world of yours looks! How small and insignificant!"

There was one thing that all humans, background, gender and age alike, couldn't stand to be told, and that was of their own tininess when compared to the vast reaches of the great universe. To be reminded of how short their lives were, and how little their actions meant in the grand scheme of things was an insult no human would take lying down. It was partly due to the fear that came with realizing their own insignificance, but also because most humans held true to the idea that any life, no matter how small or how short, had significance and should be treated with dignity and respect. To hear the word 'insignificant' from the mouth of a being that wanted nothing more than to enslave them was the lowest the Light of Destruction could have gone. It had hit the gathered group below the belt.

" If it's so tahny, why'd'ya want it?" Hassleberry roared, his pupils slitting and his irises going jungle green. At his side, Jesse immediately agreed

" Yeah! If our world's so insignificant, then ya oughta leave it th' hell alone!"

Sartorius laughed.

" I chose your world for no merit of its own. It merely happened to be the birthplace of an old friend."

He levelled them with a superior look.

" If it had been another world that had the great misfortune of bearing him, then I would have gone there. The planet is insignificant. The inhabitants are insignificant. All that matters is that it is what he calls home, and therefore, is precious to him." The look morphed into that deranged, obsessive one that made Aster's sin crawl. " And I swore long ago that I would annihilate everything precious to him."

" _That's_ what this is about?" Aster exploded, surging his feet despite his persistent headache. He wobbled, but started forward, fury written in every line on his face.

" You got my father _murdered_, my best friend _taken over_, a bunch of innocent people _mentally destroyed_ for the sake of some_**grudge?**_"

" A child like you could never hope to understand my motives. I am old beyond your comprehension and powerful beyond your understanding. The truths I could tell you would curdle the blood as it runs through your veins. I could drive you mad with but a single word of my knowledge. What I do, why I do it...I merely obey what is my nature, a simplicity that has eluded your kind for eons. You," he pointed to the three boys, " with your tiny capacities for small-ranged emotions and your desperate attempts to give meanings to your impossibly short lives...what do you know of hatred and vengeance? A grudge you call it? Oh no. This is not a grudge; it is simply what is. As for those who are sacrificed along the way, well, I must amuse myself somehow. I am so old that time seems to drag. The life of a star is a mere blink compared to me. Ripping apart the minds of you mortals, watching you fruitlessly struggle against me..."

A sickening smile lit across his face.

" It's entertaining."

A stunned moment of silence, during which Jaden tried to use Grand Neos to send The Light Ruler back to Sartorius' hand, but failed when the psychic used Reversal of Fate to save it. Then Aster stormed forward, no longer unsure or wobbling, but strong in his rage.

" You twisted, disgusting, son of a whore-!"

But a soft laugh, musical in a way it had no right to be, cut him off.

" And you say I never learn."

Lia brought her red hand to her mouth to cover it as she giggled, looking at Sartorius out of dark eyes.

" L-Lia?" Syrus whispered, backing away from her. Lia didn't respond. She instead turned her strange eyes on Jaden, and smiled in a condescending manner.

" Well? What are you waiting for?" She waved a casual hand towards Sartorius, an air that was ruined by the bloodstains on the palm. " Get rid of that eyesore, would you?"

To the shock of everyone there, Jaden huffed. He reached down to draw a card as The Light Ruler sent a blast of white energy at Grand Neos, destroying the other monster. Lia raised one brow at the boy in red.

" Spoiled and greedy as ever, I see." Sartorius observed in his dual, grating voice. Lia didn't take her eyes off of Jaden, who placed a single card onto his Duel Disk.

" Reverse of Neos." The boy said in a voice that was a little deeper than it usually was. As his friends gawked as his sudden speech, Neos flared to life on Jaden's field. The stars began to glow brighter. The black spaces between them got deeper. The Earth itself shone a brighter blue. And Neos' attack points climbed to 4000.

" What?" Sartorius snarled.

" We're in the Aditus Trutinae." Lia said with a laugh that didn't suit her. She grinned nastily at the possessed man. " You haven't been here is such a long time that I guess you've forgotten. The Aditus lends power to all its inhabitants."

" And Reverse of Neos gives an extra 1000." Jaden added, although no one heard him. They were too busy staring at Lia as though she'd grown a second head.

" But...that means..." Sartorius trailed off, his features warped with horror as the silver monster suddenly appeared before The Light Ruler. As he brought a fist down to slash the creature in half, Lia turned to look at Jaden with an alien smile of affection on her face. Her features too, were warped, shifted into something that was most certainly not Lia Shanner. The shadows on her skin deepened. Her freckles paled. Her eyes held no trace of green, and hazel was too light of a shade for them. There was love written in that smile but it was wrong somehow, a desperate, clinging thing that was nothing at all like Lia's guarded, but tender affections. The love destroyed her half-hidden prettiness, turning her natural beauty into something distant and cold. She was more than pretty; she was beautiful in a way Lia could never have been.

Her smile lingered for a split second, her eyes only looking at Jaden as Sartorius sank to his knees while his lifepoints dropped to zero, and then – like a light being switched off – the smile died, her eyes rolled back into her head, and she fell against Syrus' shoulder, dead to the world.

" What?" Syrus reached out to grab her, but Aster was already moving, hauling Lia up and against his chest. He was frowning. Behind them, Jaden moved swiftly to where Sartorius still knelt, face downturned. The boy held up his disk.

" I bid you farewell." He intoned. A moment of silence passed, in which it became clear that Jaden was waiting for Sartorius to reply. After another minute, he snapped.

" Say it." He all but growled, his gold eyes narrow and sharp.

" I...bid you...farewell..." Came the grating voice, all traces of Sartorius gone.

" Good." Was all Jaden said.

Then he hoisted the other man up by his collar, fingers curled in the shirt.

" Jay!" Jesse shouted, horrified. It didn't really register with any of them, but the sheer strength required to suspend a grown man was more than Jaden's arms should have possessed, no matter how much his mother had gotten on him to train the summer before.

The Slifer ignored the indignant calls of his friends and the pleas from Aster to be careful, and leveled Sartorius with a glare.

" Is this...violence...truly...ne-necessary?" Somehow, beaten and broken, the Light was still able to make Sartorius' lips grin. The only difference was that now, blood was beginning to seep out of the edges. " ...A little...decorum...if you please."

" I, the Victor of the Trial by Combat with the Manus Deletoris, do claim my prize." Jaden shook Sartorius. His knuckles were white. And if Aster's cries of horror were anything to go by, the blood sluggishly leaking out of Sartorius' tear ducts was not a pretty sight. The fact that the eyes were still burning, gone almost entirely white, only made it all worse.

Jaden brought them face to face.

" Here, as is my right won in the Trial, you will bow to my will. You will hear and obey this one command." All around them, the stars shone, gathering closer. The duo was flooded by silver light.

" Your command, oh Victor?" The Light taunted. The stars hissed angrily in response. Jesse, Hassleberry, and Aster slapped their hands on their ears. Syrus squeezed his eyes shut, refusing to look. His ears were already ringing so badly that he couldn't hear anything.

" Leave." Those white eyes widened. " Leave this world, immediately. Surrender the hearts you hold back to those who had them first. Flee this world, and return to whatever plane or realm you prefer to slumber in. Our business is concluded."

" Oh," The Light purred, " I think not."

" Leave, Exitium." Jaden's voice was rough with anger. " You've done enough damage."

" Not hardly, but the rules must be obeyed. Very well." The white eyes turned to Aster.

And then a voice, more terrible than any that had ever existed, or would ever exist after, spoke. The stars around them shook under the weight of Its words, and Hassleberry collapsed to his knees, keening in pain as his heightened senses told him of a predator too great for his mind to comprehend. Jesse's Crystal Beast exploded into being, gathering around him, snarling and spitting like caged animals as a white, glowing substance floated up out of Sartorius' body. It hung in the air, watching them all, but focused on Jaden, who neither flinched nor winced. He held the red-tinted gaze of the thing, while Syrus pressed his face into his hands and Aster buried his in Lia's hair. The air stunk with madness and decay.

" I free this man and I free the others. I concede," the universe shuddered, " for now."

And then it was gone, it was all gone- the stars and the Earth and the horrific, awful presence. Jaden was slowly lowering Sartorius to the ground, and Lia was stirring in Aster's arms, whining and snuggling her nose into his neck. His cheeks went a little pink, and he held her closer, shaking visibly. Hassleberry sat up, hugging himself, murmuring nonsense words under his breath to try and calm his racing heart. Syrus sought Jaden, who was gently pressing his fingers to Sartorius' brow.

" Aniki?" He whispered.

Jaden didn't look up, but his voice soothed the shaken boys.

" It's alright now, Syrus. It's over."

* * *

What felt like hours later, but was really only moments, the group made its way back up the stairs. Lia walked with Hassleberry, shooting nervous glances back at Aster, who had Sartorius' arm slung over his shoulders. The two were engaged in quiet conversation, Sartorius being too horrified by his actions to bring himself to even _look_ at anyone else. Syrus was hovering around Jaden, who was abnormally silent. Jesse was right at his side, shooting glances at him. Unseen to any but the two of them, the Crystal Beasts hovered as well, Topaz Tiger and Amethyst Cat looking at Jaden with half reverent, half-suspicious stares. Winged Kuriboh fluttered between Jaden and Lia, once nuzzling into her hair; Jesse had blinked at that, wide-eyed. His eyes got wider as Lia frowned at the little monster, squinting at the space it occupied with a frightening intensity. Hassleberry distracted her with a comment, and she looked away, apparently forgetting about what she was doing. Winged Kuriboh flew back over to Jaden, visibly deflated. Jesse would've liked to ask, but he wasn't sure he could keep his voice from cracking with fear if he opened his mouth, so he stayed quiet.

Lia tried her best to not turn red as they entered the fateful tunnel, but a dusting of rouge still made it across her cheeks. No one made any comments, but Aster's soft smile made Syrus and Hassleberry wonder. Jaden never looked back once, his eyes focused ahead. Sartorius was giving Aster a knowing look, and the only girl refused to meet anyone's eyes, drifting closer to Syrus as he slowed his pace to walk with her. Like Sartorius and Aster, they started up a whispered conversation. They talked about inane, unimportant things, but it was a welcome relief from what had happened down in the room.

Alexis was where they'd left her, with one, major difference:

There were no more opponents. The last one went down as they entered the room, and Alexis leapt into the air, pumping her fist high.

" Oh _hell_ yes!" She crowed. Behind her, Zane rolled his eyes. He glanced over at the group, the only one to notice them, and grudgingly nodded at Jaden. Syrus stiffened beside Lia, but forced a grateful smile on his face as he met his brother's eyes. Something might've passed between them, an understanding or another challenge, had Alexis not spun on her heel, flushed with elation and victory, and thrown herself at Zane, knocking him flat on his back on the stairs.

Then she kissed him hard on the mouth.

The group froze, horrified that they were intruding on such a private moment. Alexis' fingers were entangled in Zane's hair and if he was held stiff by shock, Alexis certainly wasn't. She let out a soft, wet sound from deep in her throat (a sound that made Zane's eyes flutter and his mouth move in an involuntary answering sound) and then pulled back with a beaming smile.

Really, it could only end one way.

" Oh _Christ_ not _**again!**_" Lia shrieked, slapping her hands over her eyes and falling against the wall. Alexis turned her head so fast it was a miracle she didn't get whiplash, saw them all (Jesse looked anywhere but her, Syrus waved awkwardly, Hassleberry started whistling, and Aster the Sartorius coughed and blushed, starting another conversation that was, in opposition to their last one, far louder than it needed to be. Jaden just walked on, heading for the door)and jumped off of Zane as if he'd burned her. Amusingly, the man remained where he was on the floor, staring at the ceiling with a dazed, disbelieving look on his face.

" I-you-what?" Alexis stuttered. Jesse peeked at her form under his bangs, went red, and started studying his shoes again. Several of his Beasts started catcalling, which led Cyber Tutu to rush forward to defend her master.

" Is it safe to look yet? Has she stopped sucking face with the S&M Bastard yet?" Lia whimpered. Alexis' head did another whiplash-inducing spin to find her. Across the room, the door burst open and Chazz stormed in, his face lit with a triumphant smirk.

" Guess who just won the GX Tournament?"

Syrus waved tiredly at him when no one else responded. Zane sat up, still looking like he didn't quite know where he was. Alexis ignored everyone on favour of Lia.

" Lia!" She ran and threw her arms around the girl. " I've been looking for you!"

" No, you've been swapping spit with Zane! Don't touch me, you've touched him with those arms!"

Chazz's jaw dropped.

" Wait, _what_?" He turned to glare at Zane. The older boy just blinked.

" What the hell did you think you were doing-"

" I mean, okay, I get that you and Atty are siblings, but really, _Zane_? For god's sake, Lexi –"

" –all one your own! You coulda been seriously hurt! I was worried –"

" –anyone woulda been better! _Chazz_ woulda been better. No, wait, I take it back, not –"

Chazz growled at her, not taking his eyes off of Zane.

" I can _hear_ you, bitch."

" – out of my mind, I was so worried! You are _never_ allowed to do that again, you got me? You take one of us with –"

" – either way, I'm not gonna be able to look at you for a month! It's _Zane_. _Zane!_ Do the words, 'Duel Shockers' mean –"

" – that way, we can at least make sure you're okay! Hey, wait, what happened to your hoodie?"

" – probably likes it way too rough for you to handle."

Both girls blinked, staring at each other.

" ...What?"

" What?"

" No, seriously, _what_? What's too rough for me?"

" If you didn't hear me the first time, then I am _not_ repeating it!"

" Wha? Why not?"

" Because I...I...Well...I'm just not!"

" Was it that bad?"

At that moment, Aster, who'd been watching the conversation with a smile, leaned forward over Lia's shoulder.

" Oh trust me, it was bad."

Lia's face went bright red and she sputtered like a cat that had had water dumped on it.

" Wh-Who the hell a-asked you?"

" Just giving my opinion, babe."

Alexis raised a brow.

" Babe, huh?"

" Don't call me that!" Lia snapped at Aster, who grinned charmingly at her. Sartorius, leaning against the wall, watched them fondly.

Chazz gave one final glare at Zane and then turn his back on him, nose in the air.

" You hurt her and there'll be nowhere on Earth you can hide to get away from me."

Zane looked up, but Chazz had already gone over to poke fun at Hassleberry. Syrus hovered in between the Alexis-Lia-Aster group and his brother, furrowing his brow in indecision. For a moment, the tense, pained atmosphere that had gripped them for almost ten months gave way to a relaxed one.

Then Jaden spoke.

" I don't mean to alarm you, but we're not quite finished yet."

His voice, deeper, darker, older than they were used to, forced silence upon them. The pressure returned with a vengeance. A white glow began to emit from the bodies of the fallen Society members. Jaden spun on his heel, facing the gather substance with blazing eyes.

" Isn't that right, Exitium?"

Alexis jolted at the name.

The substance spun, rising up out of the fallen bodies of Its victims. It took form, if it could be called a form. It was merely a mass of white, with two wicked red eyes that stared down at them all. It hurt to look at, their eyes stinging unforgivingly. Sartorius whimpered and Aster was at his side in a second, shielding him from the gaze of the Light. The pressure, the awful, choking pressure came rushing onto them, worse than before. Their limbs hung heavy at their sides, their bodies held captive in the hypnotic thrall of the Light of Destruction. Chazz gulped, and for once, didn't complain as his Ojamas flew around him, whispering hurriedly into his ears and trying to distract him. Zane reached out to try and block Syrus, but the younger boy held himself steady. He panted and sweated, but he stared at the Light until his eyes began to water.

Then it spoke.

" Wonderful! _Wonderful!_ What an army you've gathered, what soldiers you've found! What a game this will be, old friend!"

" I forbid you to _touch _them!" Jaden roared, and that silver light pressed against the white, forcing it back.

" Ah, ah, my friend. The Aditus Trutinae is behind us. Your commands do not have to be heeded." The smirk could be heard in the Light's voice, if not seen, as It had no mouth. Those who had not already experienced the unfiltered voice of the being let out sobs and screams, Chazz falling to all fours and pressing the heels of his hands into his ears to try and block it out, his monster spirits flying around him in a frenzy of panic. Syrus' eyes overflowed as his left ear began to bleed. Jaden's face twisted into a fearsome look, but the Light ignored him for a moment. It moved (but at the same time didn't. It occupied the whole room, every crack and corner at once, except for where it didn't, but it seemed there wasn't a space like that anywhere. But there was. Because they could see it, only no one could. The impossibility of the Light, revealed in a small fraction of Its true glory to them, rendered their minds at a standstill, unable to process what their eyes were seeing.) to look at Alexis.

" Well done, girl." It said in Its terrible voice. Alexis, from some well of strength deep within her, raised her head to meet the red eyes for a moment, holding her head steady. Her eyes too, overflowed with tears, and she couldn't really understand what she was looking at, but she looked nonetheless.

The Light laughed, and all but Jaden felt their hearts shudder at the very core of themselves. Because the laughter of the Light of Destruction was the only thing worse than Its voice.

" Let it not be said that I am a poor loser. A prize, then. A reward for defeating my army."

Faster than anyone could follow, an orb of white shot out from the mass and attached itself to Alexis' head. Screaming and flailing, she fell backwards, the orb writhing and wriggling as it grew smaller and smaller.

" Alexis!" Zane, Chazz, and Syrus flew to her side. Lia herself stumbling back in horror as her friend screamed until her throat was raw as she writhed in agony on the ground. As the orb vanished, Alexis' hands flew up to claw uselessly at her eyes, from which twin trails of red tears spewed forth. She rolled onto her side, curled up into the fetal position, and screamed. Zane reached out to touch her but she pulled away from him, rocking hopelessly as her eyes bled.

" Your prize, little girl! She who defeated an army! She who trampled the Society of Light! She – yes! She who once bested the Light of Destruction!" The thing crowed in sick delight. " I give you _eyes_, child! I curse you with knowledge! Know me, girl, in all my forms, and like the damned Cassandra before you, know that you are helpless to stop what is to come! See me wherever I hide, and fall into despair when all your knowledge leads only to your end!"

Alexis screamed again as a single strand of white caressed her hair.

" I give you a new name, little girl. I name you Lightslayer! Find me again before it is all over, and I shall sing to you the song that ends the world! I will give you a death most warriors can only _dream_ about! A prize and a promise! Your death will be glorious, Alexis Lightslayer!"

It withdrew Its tendril from the hysterical Alexis, who was trying to bury her head in her stomach, but no one celebrated. The next second, Lia too started screaming as she was surrounded by the white mass. Syrus, who was closest to her, shot forward, but was thrown back into Zane by another tendril. Lia started beating fruitlessly against the mass, her fists slipping right through it as though it were mist.

" Don't forget, dawn star." Lia's cheeks were pinched as she was forced to look at the mass. " What happened so long ago still feeds the present. You are a selfish and vain creature, and a thousand lifetimes will not change that. Don't grow so arrogant as to believe you've become strong. You are as weak as you were the day we met."

Lia sobbed without sound, her lips forced shut. Her eyes shone with fear as the Light pulled her closer. Her feet left the ground, and she kicked her legs, searching for something solid to put them on. Her arms reached up to try and pull whatever it was that grasped her face away, but her hands paradoxically slid through the substance, grabbing at nothing even as It lifted her up in the air. She was shaken like a ragdoll for a moment, until she stopped moving and let her limbs fall dead. Syrus, who was watching as he cried, was reminded forcibly of a predator sinking its teeth into the neck of the prey, and then shaking it once it had the throat, ensuring that it was dead.

" You have not changed, little dawn star; your love is still a destructive thing."

The choice of adjective was not lost on anyone.

Abruptly, Lia was yanked away from the Light. Later, the group would agree that she'd been let go, because what was the flimsy physical strength of a human against something like Exitium? Lia fell back against a black-clad chest and Aster wrapped his arms around her protectively, still standing in between the Light and Sartorius. Lia pressed her face into his chest and sank into his arms, muttering incoherently in a mix of French and English. Aster himself was shaking badly, his ears starting to bleed and his hands white as he clutched Lia. But he stared into the Light's eyes as he felt Its amusement.

" Don't you touch her!" He snarled, though the effect was somewhat tarnished as he sank to his knees.

" Shall I 'leave her out of it' as well?" The grating voice taunted.

" _E-__**nough!**_" A voice, terrible as the Light's, but also reassuring, roared. Silver exploded around them. The same feeling of vitality and hope that had invigorated Jaden's group as he played his Neospace card shot through them all. The blinding whiteness was pushed back, the Light hissing in annoyance as Its fun was cut short. All around them, the swirling silver pressed into them, pushing the Light away, holding them in an invisible embrace. And as Jaden advanced, he was backlit by the same silvery light, the only distinguishable feature being his blazing gold eyes.

" You will leave now, Exitium. You have _long_ overstayed your welcome. I was the Victor of our Trial. I commanded that you leave, which I was well within my rights to do. Now, if you continue to disobey my simple demand, so help me, I will call another Trial, and this one will be held _before you kin!_"

The silence that followed was stifling. Even Alexis' frantic sobs had been quieted. The two pressures clashed, one choking off the life of the group and one restoring it. Finally, with a semblance of a bow, the Light pulled back.

" As you command, old friend."

And then it was gone, vanishing into thin air as if it had never been there. While the others were stunned, still held captive by the power of the being, Jaden wasted no time. He walked purposely over to where Alexis was huddled. Kneeling, he brought a hand to her shoulder, tightening his grip when she tried to flinch away.

" Alexis." He breathed. She turned her head to him. The others watched, even Lia, mystified.

Jaden squeezed her shoulder encouragingly.

" Open your eyes."

" Can't." She whimpered. More blood seeped. " Hurts."

The younger boy hummed in thought, rubbing her shoulder as he did. Then, slowly, as though he was trying to calm a cornered animal, Jaden pulled her to sit. Hassleberry and Jesse both went green at the sight of her face. There were tear streaks mingling with the blood, and around her shut eyes, veins burned white and bulged slightly. Nodding to himself, Jaden leaned forward, and took her hand in his own. With slow, deliberate movements, he brought the hand to his lips, and kissed her fingertips and nails.

She gasped, but the sound didn't drown out his words.

" _Blessed be those whose hearts are strong_."

As Alexis sat in shock, Jaden moved so that they were face to face. She trembled, feeling his breath across her skin, but did nothing, even as he reached up. He delicately pressed his lips first to the lid of her left eye, then the one on her right, and then stopped with them resting on her brow. He rubbed his thumbs under her eyes, trying to get rid of the bloody tears that stained her cheeks. Though he whispered the next words, they carried, and they rang with a power that was beyond anyone else in the room.

" _And from thine eyes, I will wash all lies._"

That soft silver light warmed his hands, and he pressed them over the top half of her face, smiling as she took a shaky breath. It ran down her face, washing the blood away from her cheeks. He held his hands there for a moment, letting something no one else could see take place on Alexis' ruined eyes. After a minute or two, he pulled his hands back, smiling a smile that was sad around the edges.

" Now try."

And as Alexis shakily opened her eyes, and looked at Jaden like she'd never seen him before (she wasn't the only one), the feeling of foreboding that had hung in the air since Aster had first arrived and Chazz had been corrupted on those two fateful nights so long ago dissipated.

In its wake it left uncertainty and fear, but the Light of Destruction was gone, and the long, hard battle was finally over. It was enough.

* * *

So uh, yeah. ...Yep. ...Uh-huh.

...I'm sorry.

I don't...I don't even know what this is! I mean..._God_. That's uh,...that's something.

I'm kinda scared of myself, if we're being honest.

...

Gah, what is this I don't even-!

Okay, okay. Let's all just calm down and try to focus on other things.

Yay, more Royalshipping?

...

Oh, poor Alexis, why did I _do_ that to her she has eyes that can see the _Light oh god-!_

Ahem.

Aditus Trutinae - The Gateway of Balance. The 'ae' is pronounced like the 'y' in 'by'.

Trial by Combat - I think that sounds kinda cool, but also lame. At the same time. How does it do that?

_Ga-AWD_ the Light freaks me out next chapter, next chapter now please!

Next time, the change is undeniable, but the world has to keep turning somehow. The closing chapter of Year Two!

MoS

Oh, and if you're wondering where Lia got to...I sent her out to bring me a shrubbery as punishment for tying me up. I hope she gets asked what the air-speed velocity of an unladed swallow is.


	64. Closing Thoughts

Warnings: The end of the Year. I feel kinda sad, and yet, not. Because there are extras. And Year Three still to come. Thank you all for joining me here.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two: Descending Light**

* * *

" Nobody tells Atticus about this." Had been the first thing Alexis had said when she could speak again. Her hands had pressed against her eyes, which apparently still stung a little.

" Nobody tells _anybody_ about this." Syrus had insisted, ignoring the look Zane had given him. " What happened here stays here." He had nodded once, more to himself than to anyone else. His ears were stained with red, thin trickle making its way down his neck. Zane's fingers had been twitching like he badly wanted to try and staunch the flow, but one silencing look from Syrus had held the older boy in place.

" We'll have to talk about it sometime." Chazz had muttered from where he was leaning against the wall. Syrus had looked at him from over the rims of his glasses.

" Yeah, but we don't have to invite other people into that conversation."

" Mindy? Jazz?"

" No, I don't think we should tell them."

" Alexis..."

" Hear me out; what happened here...whatever it was that happened..._we_ can barely handle it. So how the hell are we gonna tell anyone else?"

" Lex."

" Sy, are you ever gonna be able to talk about what happened here?"

" ...Well...I..."

" 'Cause I sure as hell can't. Fuck, I barely understand what happened."

" I don't...Sam Hill, I was in the dead center of it all, and I can't really recall squat!"

" Now you know how Lexi and I felt, Blueberry, when we came back from the Society."

" It's not the same thing, Chazz. I mean, you guys were totally blank. Now, there's..."

" There's what, midget?"

" ...I don't know. I mean, I know what happened, but at the same time...I don't."

" He's rahght. It's lahke the memory is there, an' Ah can feel it, but every tahme I trah ta replay it, it freezes."

" What Jesse said."

" So you three have no idea of what happened down there?"

" It's not like that, Zane. It's just...gah! I can't even describe it."

" It's like...like the film in the camera's been overexposed. The images are all blurry and you can't really make anything out."

" Aster?"

" It just...it hurts to think about. Every time I try to call up an image, even an image I know I saw, my head starts pounding and my vision swims. It actually hurts to think about. Be grateful you weren't down there."

" How bad?"

" Huh?"

" How bad does your head hurt?"

" Probably not worse than your eyes, if that's what you're asking, Blondie."

" Don't call her that."

" Easy Zaney. I'm just answering the lady's question."

" Both of you, tone down the testosterone. Your pissing contest of a rematch can wait."

" Ya know things are bad when _Princeton_ is the voice of reason."

" Can it, you drill sergeant wannabe."

" Look, just...picture the worst migraine you've ever had. And then multiply it by about...a million. That's where the pain is sitting at."

" ..."

" ..."

" ..."

" ..."

" ..."

" So, I'm guessing it doesn't beat your eyes?"

" ...Not even close."

" Lexi?"

" Later Sy. Later. I can't...I thought they were going to _melt_...!"

" Don-Don't crah, Miss Alexis ma'am!"

" Please, Lex. Don't."

" Shut up Zane! I'll cry if I want to!"

" C'mon now, I sure Prahvate Phoenix didn't meant ta upset ya. Did he?"

" Would you quit glaring at me? No, I didn't mean to make her cry! Jeez, I'm sorry I said anything!"

" Just breathe, Lexi, everything's gonna be fine. Everything's okay now. It's all over."

" I-I-I know th-that! B-But still! It-It hurts and I-I can't m-make it stop!"

" It's lahke a cut, ma'am. The hurt'll stop after it starts ta heal."

" Yeah, it's gonna be okay, Alexis. Please stop crying."

" If you don't stop, you'll g-get me g-g-going and...and..."

" Oh, for god's sake midget! Not you too!"

" Chain reaction, much?"

" You stay outta this! You started this whole mess!"

" Don't bite my head off, Chazz."

" Damnit, Sy, quite crying."

" Syrus?"

" I'm f-fine! I'll b-be fine! B-B-But someone has to c-cry, a-and it might as w-well be me..."

" Oh Syrus, I'm s-sorry!"

" You di-didn't do anything, L-Lexi."

" I j-just...I w-was so scared and...it was s-so wh-white an-and...and..."

" Oh god, what have I done?"

" Ya set everehone off, bah th' looks o' it."

" That was a rhetorical question, North Boy."

" C'mon Trusedale, show a little prahde. Quit crying like a sissy!"

" I c-can't! Th-That voice...it s-sounded like the-the...the B-Beasts and..."

" I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I just...it hurts to cry and I can't stop and everything just crashed down on me and oh god, h-how did we manage to get this far? How are we not _d-dead_? We should be dead, we should not have won, h-how did we...how _did_ we-"

" No, seriously, don't. Your face gets all red and it's really unattractive. Atticus will be able to tell you were crying in a heartbeat."

"..._WHAT?_"

" You take that back Zane! Right fucking now!"

" Big Brother!"

" That ain't no way ta talk t' a lady, Trusedale!"

" ..."

" ..."

" ...Tact is clearleh a fo'eign language ta Zane."

" That, or he's a brilliant master manipulator. Either way, she's not crying anymore."

" Suppose not."

Jesse had watched an enraged Alexis chase Zane around the room, Chazz and Hassleberry barely a step behind her, and all three shouting a vast amount of obscenities. Tears had been still running down Alexis' cheeks, but her eyes (bloodshot and rimmed with red. The veins that had bulged and flared white had not entirely retreated back into her skin. They were still markedly paler than the rest of her face, and so stood out like tiny vines carefully crawling up her brow. It was a miracle that the blood had been washed away, because no one wanted to have to explain that to Atticus. He was in a foul enough of a mood when Jaden had left him back at the arena) were narrowed and sparking with anger, and her energy seemed to be up.

Chazz and Hassleberry had abandoned their awkward attempts at comfort in favour of waving their fists and swearing at Zane, who, comically enough, was actually running from them. He had darted around pillars and swerved in between fallen members of the Society of Light, dodging Alexis' increasingly wild grabs with an ease that could only have come from years spent perfecting it. His bangs had been hiding his dark green eyes, but if Jesse squinted, he thought he could make out the faintest hint of a smirk on the older boy's lips. Master manipulator indeed.

Syrus had hung back, trying to scowl and failing. He'd ended up pouting instead, his cheeks puffed up a little and his bottom lip stuck out. His own eyes had remained a little shiny, and several tears still escaped them, but his brother's comments seemed to have done the trick. He had been tapping a foot in irritation, glaring at his brother. The look on his face was clearly one of fond annoyance, and Jesse had wagered to guess that it truly was hardly the first time Zane had said or done something to incur Alexis' wrath.

The tense, tight air that had been weighing on the room since the Light had fled finally lifted a little. While it was nowhere near relaxed enough to be called calm or normal, something dark and cold had left them, and in the its wake, they'd been too stunned to even try and move. Zane's cutting remark and Alexis' subsequent display of temper were normalities, something that had been lacking from the group's banter for far longer than any of them would be willing to admit. As Aster had turned to watch the trio make another circuit of the room in their pursuit of Zane, Jesse had admitted, only to himself, that maybe things could be normal again. (Not the same; never the same. There were scars around Alexis' eyes and Lia had bled far more than she should've and Jaden had barely said a word the entire duel. Something had changed, something that could never be called back. Something integral to their group had shifted, the bases changing underneath their feet. It was something they could never get back. No matter how much they laughed or how much they played, everything had changed for them. There wouldn't be a moment where Alexis wasn't forcibly aware of her new eyes. There wouldn't be a touch where Chazz didn't flinched, fearful of an alien presence being forced into his body. There wouldn't be a duel where Jaden was an opponent that wasn't tainted with the image of him, the stars alight around him and silver exploding out from his still form. The very core of who they all were had had something ripped from it, and in its place, between the scabbed over scars and the bandages, something new had come into being. A knowledge, a kind of wisdom that few ever attained. Maybe it wasn't for the best, and maybe it would lead to terrible things, but the truth of the matter was that each member of the affectionately named Slacker Club had, in some way, become aware of their own power. The next time a threat loomed, Jaden would not stand alone.)

From where he had been leaning almost all his weight against Jesse on the other boy's shoulder, Jaden had smiled.

" Good." He'd whispered, his voice sounding hoarse, almost like it had been over used. Jesse had adjusted his arm around the Slifer, ignoring the teasing grin (tired, but with more and more of his usual arrogance and charisma; things were going to be okay) Aster had shot him.

" You back with us, Jay?"

" Mmm." Had been the non-answer. Jaden had let his eyes drift to the pro star. Lia hadn't stirred from his arms, her posture almost mirroring Jaden's as she snuggled deeper against Aster's chest. Behind him, Sartorius had looked on with a tender smile.

" Jay..." Jesse had started, trailing off as he tried to find a way to phrase his question. Aster had frowned, upset by the breaking of the atmosphere they'd tried so hard to obtain again, but Jesse would not be deterred. There were things he'd needed to know, questions he needed answered, not least of which was the reason behind the looks the Crystal Beasts kept giving Jaden. He'd opened his mouth again.

" This isn't the moment." Jaden had said softly, cutting the other boy off. Aster had shot him a questioning look, but Jaden'd never took his eyes (brown again, thank God. Brown and simple and kind. Jaden's eyes were normal, if not the same.) off of where Alexis had finally managed to catch up to Zane and had him by his collar, shouting in his face. Hassleberry and Chazz were at her back, yelling just as loudly. Syrus had decided to stand just beside the group, cradling his face in one hand and refusing to look at his friends. Jaden had heaved a sigh. From where she'd been listing comfortably, Lia had only dared to peek at him through her bangs.

" There'll be time later. But for now...let's focus on something a little nicer, okay?"

The look in his eyes, soft, gentle, and steely, had brokered no argument. Jesse had deflated, Lia had buried her head back into Aster's shoulder, and Sartorius had looked at Jaden with a puzzled expression. All the while Alexis had smacked Zane on the back of the head when he leaned a little too close to her face, and the three boys around her had snarled (Chazz), looked away (Hassleberry), and rolled their eyes (Syrus) at the rare display of levity from The Hell Kaiser.

Jesse had glanced back at his Crystal Beasts, but said nothing. It had instead been Aster who responded.

" Okay, Jaden. If that's what you think is best."

And so it was a broken, bruised, but ultimately triumphant group that slowly made its way out of the White Dorm, leaning on each other without saying a word, bleeding and ignoring the wounds in favour of reconnecting ties. The banter was a little forced, the emotions a little askew, but it was more than they'd had in months, and so it was enough.

It wasn't the same by any stretch of the imagination, but it was _enough_.

* * *

The last few weeks of the school year passed in a blur.

Sartorius wasted no time in getting down on his knees and begging for forgiveness. With tears in his (normal, gentle, _kind_) purple eyes, he'd pleaded with them all, almost sobbing as he relayed his actions back to them. His voice had broken several times, but no one in the group moved to comfort him, although Aster's fists where white-knuckled. They let the poor man have his moment of penance, the releasing of his guilt over what he'd been forced to do.

It had been Chazz who'd eventually walked over, prodded Sartorius with his foot, and ended the moment.

" _Get up."_

_Sartorius' head raised at the gruff voice. Chazz wasn't looking at him, but the rest of them were, waiting with baited breath._

" _Get up." More forcefully this time. The psychic's head raised a little more, but Chazz had lost his patience. With unrefined movements, he grabbed Sartorius' elbow and roughly hauled him to his feet. The older man stumbled, but Aster was at his side in a moment, steadying him._

" _Easy." Was all the pro star said. Sartorius stared unblinkingly at Chazz, who growled and crossed his arms and blushed at the scrutiny._

" _Look, quit acting like you're to blame! That stupid Light made you do all those things, so you're just as much a victim as we are! All that bowing and shit isn't necessary."_

" _But I..." For once, Sartorius was robbed of words._

" _Chazz is right." Alexis stepped forward. " The Light used you just like it used us. You were just a pawn too."_

" _But if I'd fought harder..."_

" _What, you wanna just about die like I did?" Chazz snorted. Sartorius lowered his eyes again. " Oh, goddamnit, that's not what I meant! Just...it's not your fault, okay?"_

" _I..."_

" _Nobody blames you." Aster said quickly, cutting off another bout of guilt. Where Chazz and Alexis' reassurances had failed, Aster's did not, and his old friend looked at him with hopeful eyes._

" _Really?" It was so childlike, so innocent, that if the Light's victims hadn't been convinced that Sartorius Nevin was really a good person, that one word would've changed all their minds. Aster merely smiled warmly._

" '_Course not. Nobody in their right minds would think that someone like __**you**__ could do things like __**that.**__"_

" _He's right you know."_

_Lia didn't look at Sartorius either, but unlike Chazz, she met his gaze for a moment before looking down at her feet._

" _Miss Shanner..." Sartorius reached a pale hand out. He stopped short of touching her, and then pulled it back against his chest. With a deep breath, he turned to face the group._

" _Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. There are no words that can properly express...you don't know what this __**means**__ to me, to have your forgiveness...thank you." The last word was a whisper, choked up with tears that were born from happiness._

_The last words, as a helicopter descended from overhead, carrying precious cargo in the form of a black-haired shrine maiden, were Jaden's._

" _Okaeri, Sartorius-san."_

The contestants of the Gx Tournament left in packs of fours and fives, bemoaning their losses, but acknowledging Chazz as the superior Duelist, and therefore, worthy of the title of Champion. After the year Chazz had had, and all that he'd been put through, it was a warm respite and a welcome change. No one in the Slacker Club could find it in their hearts to resent his growing ego, although Alexis and Lia took turns sniping with him to make sure he didn't get out of control (Alexis playfully, and Lia to the point of them nearly trading blows). Chazz himself strutted around with an air of superiority that dimmed and vanished into one of ill-concealed happiness whenever he was with his friends. The arrogance became an act, the condensation merely a quirk, and his smirk a half-smile. His eyes always sought Jaden's when he first entered the room, and Jaden always favoured him with a proud smile. It was apparent that whatever trial Chazz had undergone over the course of the year, he'd earned his reward, whatever it was.

Though none of them said it, those present at Jaden's duel with Ojin suspected it had something to do with being called strong.

Jesse left with the other Duelists, hopping a boat to the mainland to catch a plane. When questioned as to why the students of Duel Academy were loaded onto _helicopters_ to be flown to airports, most just shrugged, and stated that one did not question Seto Kaiba in anything he did. Ever. The parting had been drawn-out, Jesse taking up residence in the Red Dorm for an entire weekend. He'd been abnormally attached to Jaden in the days leading up to his departure. He'd barely left the other boy's side, and while most of the time they talked duel strategies and reminisced about things that had happened to them, a weird bond seemed to form out of something deeper. Whether or not Jaden had ever answered Jesse's questions remained a mystery, but his loyalty to Jaden had skyrocketed since the duel with the Light. They spoke without words, merely looking at each other, conversing with each other's monsters with an ease that made Hassleberry jealous and Syrus sigh.

" _Don't worry, y'all. We'll probably see each other 'fore ya know it!" Jesse laughed as his luggage was loaded onto the boat. The group (Jaden, Alexis, Lia, Syrus, Hassleberry, Chazz, Mindy, Jasmine, and Atticus) blinked in surprise. Jaden immediately started smiling._

" _You bet. And next time, you have to duel me!" At the sound of his enthusiasm (so very like his old self), the group came alive again, Atticus winking roguishly at Jesse while his sister tromped on his foot, Hassleberry shouting something that Chazz drowned out by huffing and telling Jesse to get going, and Lia rolling her eyes as Syrus inched away from the brawl that was the Rhodes siblings._

" _If you start Facebook stalking us..." She threatened, and Jesse laughed._

" _Nothin' lahke that, darlin'. Just there's a rumour goin' 'round 'bout an interschool get tagether next year. Who knows." He shrugged. " Maybe we can all hang out again."_

" _Sure." Alexis said, her voice strained as she held her brother in a headlock. " But no evil gods bent on destroying the world, okay?"_

_Jesse laughed softly, but for a second, he looked only at Jaden._

" _That's the plan, darlin'."_

" _Hey." Jaden lay a warm hand on Jesse's shoulder, and returned his warm smile. " Take care of yourself, okay?"_

" _Ah'm tougher 'en Ah look." Jesse patted the hand on his shoulder. A flash went off, and the boys whipped around to see Lia lowering her camera._

" _You were doing it again." She shrugged, and smirked when both of them, not just Jesse, blushed bright red._

Syrus might've been more upset about Jesse monopolizing all of Jaden's time had he not been spending his own desperately trying to settle things with Zane.

The older boy had all but vanished off the map after they'd come back from the White Dorm (which Chazz was already talking about re-painting once the fall term started). He'd pressed a lingering hand to Alexis, his eyes stormy, had nodded curtly to Jaden who was too exhausted to do anything but sigh at the challenge in that look, and stared at Syrus for an uncomfortable moment. Then he'd turned, his black coat swishing in the wind, and he was gone.

Syrus had wanted to immediately go after him, but he was sidetracked by the enthusiastic arrival of Blaire Flannigan, who, after spotting him, had barreled into Jaden with all the grace and subtly of a typhoon. She'd knocked him off of his feet, arms looped around his waist and babbling on about how happy she was to be a Slifer with him. Jaden, tired almost beyond reason had stared down at her, not really seeing anything, and it had fallen to the others (a twitching Alexis, a reasoning Syrus, and smooth-talking Aster) to get her to disentangle herself with the older boy.

The incident had distracted Syrus long enough for Zane to get far enough away, and no one saw him for the rest of the week. Syrus had staked out the boats when they arrived, waiting for his brother, but Zane had slipped past him again. He never once appeared to get on a boat, and when the last one left for the mainland, Syrus had to admit defeat. He moped around the Red Dorm for a while, sending texts and messages to Zane (apparently turned off) cellphone, ranging from frantic to pleading to downright infuriated. The Slacker Club learned quick not to needle Syrus when he was in such a state, as he decked _Hassleberry_ when the boy made a comment that rubbed him the wrong way.

And then, of course, there was Abeni.

" _What the HELL?"_

_Syrus looked up just as Abeni skidded to a halt in front of him, her hands on her hips. Her face was flushed with anger and her eyes sparked. Syrus backed up a step._

_Unfortunately, Abeni matched him._

" _B-Ben?" He squeaked. A finger prodded him in the chest._

" _Don't you 'Ben' me! I was worried sick, you jerk! You were just...gone! Poof! Like magic! I didn't know if you were hurt or...or dead...or..."_

_Seeing as how she was dangerously close to tears (and no one wanted anymore tears, not ever again. Not after those horrid red ones of Alexis'), Syrus hastened to make amends._

" _I'm sorry! It all just snowballed, and before we knew it, we had to go and duel! There was no time, and I had no idea where you were, so..."_

" _I was with Brier and Jess and Miri! We were looking for you guys!"_

" _You were?"_

" _Well, me and Jess were." She pouted. " Brier and Miri got 'distracted' in the woods."_

" _Distract-Oh." Syrus went a little red. Abeni looked slightly less peeved, but from the look on Chazz's face as he watched the show from over the girl's shoulder, Syrus still had a ways to go._

" _Yeah."_

"_Um."_

" _So."_

_Syrus coughed. Jaden and Jesse leaned over the rail of the Red Dorm to watch. Chazz reached for his bag of chips. Taking a deep breath, Syrus looked at a point just a little over Abeni's shoulder._

" _So, um, did I mention that I was sor-"_

" _You owe me a date."_

_Syrus jumped. Jaden blinked while Jesse stifled a laugh. And Chazz choked on a potato chip. Finally, after a silence that stretch into the realm of the uncomfortable, Syrus gave the only response he could._

" _...Wha?"_

" _You. Me. __**Date**__." Abeni wasn't looking at him. She was staring at the wall behind him. Her steady voice did nothing to downplay the bright red shade her entire face had taken. " Pick me up at seven in front of the Yellow Dorm tomorrow. We'll have a midnight picnic."_

_And then she'd flounced away, her bad mood snuffed out like a candle in the wind. She left behind a hacking Chazz, a pair of surprised boys on the upper levels, and a dumbfounded Syrus, who quite believe that he'd had the unbelievable luck to score a date with a pretty girl._

After that, things settled down. Alexis tried to inconspicuously fret over her eyes, no one told Atticus exactly what had happened at the White Dorm, and life went on. There were end of the year tests to take (" Wait, we still have _exams?_ What the hell?" " Shut up, Strawberry. Some of us are trying to study." " Ya know Chazz, the 'berry' jokes are gettin' old." " ...I don't see your textbook open." " Gah! Miss Lia, where'd you come from?" " Less talk. More read and retain." " But-" " I will get my ruler, bitch!"), promotion duels to sit through (" Wait, _none _of you are trying to get promoted?" " Well Syrus-" " Yeah, yeah, I already knew about Syrus, but seriously? _No one_? ...Chazz?" " ...No comment." " Really, Lex, I'm happy where I am." " I know that Jay, but _Chazz_?" " I said no comment and I mean no comment." " He's happy where he is too." " I will _cut_ you in your _sleep_, Slacker!"), and packing to do. Lia secretly spent an hour staring at her ruined green tank top, running her thumb over the dried bloodstain as if it could give her the answers she wanted. While Jaden may or may not have taken Jesse into his confidence, the most he'd done to anyone else was pat them on either the head or the shoulder, smile, and shake his head. No one had made any comments about it, and she'd used Syrus' jacket to cover the worst of it, but she'd been unable to meet Atticus' eyes for days.

Miriam and Brier disappeared for hours on end as the year closed, and endured the good-natured teasing of their friends as a result. Jasmine still pouted whenever the two entered a room together, all-together put out by her lack of knowledge of their relationship. Mindy happily snuck more clothes into Lia's laundry back without her notice, and Alexis carefully dropped hints about birthday presents. Alexis herself spent several hours on the phone with her parents and several more hours fending off the heartbroken Atticus, who bemoaned the fact that he hadn't been invited to Auxerre as well.

" You at Lia's Mom's wedding. Yeah, _that's_ not a recipe for disaster." Had been his sister's sarcastic response. Atticus had retreated back to his room, forbidden by Alexis and her roommates to badger Lia about an invitation. As a further precaution, Lia had been unceremoniously moved from her Ra Yellow Dorm to the girls' Obelisk Blue one. She spent the last two and a half weeks of the school year sharing one of the three large beds with one of the girls, muttering about air mattresses but secretly relishing in the feeling of warmth at her back. There was nothing in the world that compared to the physical reminders of a bond, and snuggling under the blankets (despite the mounting heat outside), sneaking glances at the peaceful, slumbering faces of her friends made the hurt of the year dim a little.

Finally, it was the last day before the helicopters were set to take them off to the mainland airports, and sunset painted the ocean red and gold. Leaning over the edge of the railing on the boat, Lia breathed in the salty air.

" It's always the best and worst night of them all." She said, half to herself. Beside her, pretending to watch the water but really looking at her, Aster grinned.

" You mean the wild parties and drunken exploits?"

" Don't get any ideas, Phoenix, that was a one-time deal."

She didn't have to look at him to hear the pout in his voice.

" Aw, c'mon, it was fun!"

" You were gone before the clock even struck twelve, you lightweight."

" Don't make fun of me!"

" Okay then." Lia tilted her head back to look at him. The dying streaks of sunlight were tangled in her glossy hair, and several shining curls fell over her shoulder with her movement. Aster gulped, forcing his eyes to stay on her face and not trail down to the far-too-perfect shorts she was wearing. He almost wished she had kept those legs a secret, because goddamn, it was hard to concentrate when she waved them tantalizingly in front of him like that.

" Do you _really_ want Atticus to beat the living shit outta you?" Her smirk snapped him out of his daze. With a shiver of fear, he recalled the look in those brown eyes when the older Rhodes had caught him with Lia.

" Okay, point taken." He conceded. She laughed, and he watched her toss her hair back out of the corner of his eye. The duel with Sartorius had banished his fears of being a sap, and a romantic one at that. Love made his heart pump fast and his palms grow sweaty, but the bliss that came from being so close to her was worth all the embarrassingly cavity-inducing thoughts that flitted around his mind. Hovering on the edges of consciousness as the real Sartorius moved his body for him, he'd thought only of how love had guided each of his actions, and how love had been what ultimately saved him, in the end.

He'd realized that he could be unselfish too. Loving Lia was equally parts painful and wonderful, because as close as he was to her at any given moment, he wasn't the one in her heart.

" _There is only one whose love matters."_ The Light in Sartorius had told him. Only one person. And Aster knew it wasn't him. Lia might like him, and might be willing to spend time with him, but when the fate of the world hung in the balance, it wasn't him she looked to. It hurt, but Aster accepted it. Even if she didn't love him back, he could love her. He could love her until his heart stopped beating and his lungs refused air. He could love until she was able to love herself, and then win the love of that 'one person'. Because Aster knew, with the certainty of both a man and a man in love, that once Lia could love herself, once she had closed the chasm that dwelled at the heart of her, she would be so beautiful that people would have to take notice. She'd smile that tender smile, and even Chazz would be unable to do anything but gawk at her. Aster wanted to see it, to see Lia in her full glory, but the thought led down other paths. Paths that featured Lia turning that heart-stopping little smile of hers on someone else. A familiar someone.

' Well,' the thought made him scowl, ' maybe I'm not _that_ selfless.'

Half-formed thoughts, about goddesses and moons and how _bare_ her neck (finally healed and unblemished. He'd forgotten how white and creamy it was and he was starting to sound like a creeper, so he was going to stop staring at her neck) looked in the dying daylight were interrupted as she turned those hazel eyes on him again. He sat up straighter without realizing it.

" Hey." She poked him playfully in the forehead. He went cross-eyed, staring at her finger. She removed it, smirking. " What's got you so down, hmm?"

" What?" Was his brilliant respond. Forget a sap, she was turning him into an idiot. And he'd graduated with a double major before his voice had really started to crack.

" You're all frowny. Stop being depressing."

" Sorry." He looked back at the water.

" So? What were you thinking about?"

He couldn't exactly tell her that he was jealously contemplating how lovely she was going to be when she set her sights on her 'one person'. He scrambled for something else.

" Just..." He stalled. Lia frowned.

" Just...?"

He sighed, not meeting her eyes. He folded his arms over the railing.

" ...I didn't really do anything."

" Oh, not this again." She eyed him sourly. " Am I gonna hafta smack you and steal your duel disk to make you see reason?"

He laughed softly.

" Don't worry, I'm good. Just a little...disappointed in myself."

" Aster..."

" Relax." He waved her concern off.

At least, he thought he did. But the next moment, something warm pressed against his side for a second. He turned his head, just as Lia gave him another bump with her almost bare shoulder, the strap of her black camisole doing nothing to hide the beige bra strap that rested a little higher up. Aster was surprised that she was so casual about the fact that he could see it. Lia's face scrunched up, and he grinned up into her accusing eyes.

" I'm not having another existential crisis, I promise. I just...wish I coulda done more, you know?"

" Hmph." She sniffed, but despite that she wasn't facing him anymore, he felt her gaze on him as he looked back at the darkening, calm water.

" I couldn't save him. I couldn't save Sartorius. I know I did something, and I helped him somehow, but..."

He clasped his hands together. A bitter smile came onto his face.

" I guess I just feel like a lousy hero."

" I wouldn't go that far." Lia was looking out at the horizon, where the sun had fully set, but in the pale light of the rising moon, Aster saw a dusting of pink across her cheeks. " I mean, you saved _me_, after all."

" I did? When?" He didn't remember anything but relying on Jaden. Lia turned to face him, glaring and with bright red cheeks.

" Dumbass! Did you just conveniently forget that you pulled me out of the Light not once, but twice?" She 'hmph'ed again, and crossed her arm. " Nice to know my life means so much to you."

" You...You really consider _that_ heroics? Lia, I was _begging_ It to let you go. I barely managed to get It to listen to me."

" I was there, remember? You still got It to leave me alone. And then, afterwards, when It..." She nails dug into her arms. " When It was..._talking_ to me in that god-awful voice and everything was burning and those _eyes_..." She shook her head violently, as if to dislodge the memory. Part of Aster wanted to ask, but he refrained from doing so. A lot of time and effort went into trying to maintain the facade of something being wrong, and to do anything to tear it down would be unbearably cruel.

" You pulled me out." Lia whispered. " One minute I was going insane and the next, you were there. It might not meant much, but...even with the Light right there, being in your arms made me feel safe." Her face could have passed for a stop light. Not that Aster's was much better. Heat had flooded his body at her confession. All thoughts of her 'one person' faded into the background.

" It means a lot, Lia. It means more than you'll ever know." He whispered to her. Through her bangs, her gaze met his, and swiftly, the two of them looked back down at the water. Aster couldn't speak for Lia, but his heart was thundering, threatening to come bursting out of his chest in an embarrassing display of rainbows and rose-coloured words. To distract himself, he tapped his hands on the railing, talking a little too loudly.

" Hey, maybe I am a hero after all. I mean, if I can get _Lia Shanner_ to tell me I did something right, then what can't I do?" She didn't respond, so he nudged her without looking. " C'mon babe, this is where you tell me not to get a big head, and do something to deflate my eg-"

Something warm, and soft, and just the tiniest bit damp from the sea air pressed against his cheek. The world stopped spinning. His heart stopped beating. Aster's mind screeched to a halt, every gear frozen at a standstill. No creature made a sound. The night hung still and silent around them, a bubble cutting them off from the outside world.

With a tiny 'smack', Lia pulled back. Aster remained where he was, frozen.

" There you go, Hero." She teased. His hand slowly raised to touch his cheek. The warmth of his hand jolted him into action, and he almost broke his neck turning to face her. Lia pushed back from the railing, stretching.

" I'd better head back. Atty actually gave me a curfew, can you believe it?" She grinned at him. " Oh c'mon, I've seen your picture in those magazines. You've been kissed before, stop acting so weird!"

Was it his imagination, or did she look a little disgruntled as she said that last part?

" None of those mattered." The words slipped out before he could stop them. She blinked owlishly at him.

" What, and mine does?"

" _Yes_." He breathed, and how she didn't figure out how he felt about her in that instant, he didn't know. He couldn't see his face, but he could feel the force of his feelings reflected his in eyes. Lia was a little brighter and a little sharper than everything else, so the intensity with which he was looking at her must have told her _something_.

" Well then." There was no mistaking it. She looked inordinately, pleased, if not a little surprised, as she leaned forward to poke his forehead again. " If you like it so much, then I'll give you a kiss every time you do something heroic."

Aster's eyes bugged.

" J-Just so that you don't start getting all depressed again. You're hard enough to deal with when you're in a good mood." She started for the steps at a faster pace, her wild hair (tossed by the sea wind) not quite hiding her widened eyes or her pink face.

" Do you want me to walk you back?" He asked. He must've looked stupid, because he was still touching his right cheek, eyes a little bit starry. She shook her head, and patted her pocket, in which Aster knew she kept her jack-knife.

" Naw, I'm a big girl. I can get back to the Blue Dorm just fine."

" Well..." He grinned at her. " Have a nice summer. Have fun at your mom's wedding okay?"

' But don't dance with anyone other than your cousins.' He added privately.

" Yeah..."

Lia hovered by his boat, biting her lower lip. Just as he opened his mouth to ask her what was keeping her, Lia favoured him with a look through lowered lashes that nearly had him slipping off the railing.

" You, ah...You'll be here. I-In the fall, I mean." Came the nervous question.

Hope sent his heart hammering in his chest.

" Why, do you want me to be?" He teased, finally lowering his hand. Lia huffed and whipped around, crossing her arms.

" Well, if you're gonna be such a prick about it!"

He laughed, not put out in the least by her sudden switch between shy and brusque. She wouldn't have been the girl he'd fallen for if she wasn't so full of contradictions.

As she started to stomp off, he leaned as far over the railing as he could without falling into the water and called to her.

" Hey! Keep an eye out for me, babe!"

She was heading for the forest path, but right before she disappeared into the tree line, she turned to cast a smile over her shoulder. Aster waved, grinning cheekily, and Lia continued up the path, gone from his sight. He collapsed back into a chair on his deck, hands folded behind his head and the image of her last smile dancing through his head. In ten months his world had been turned upside-down, then broken, then reassembled in ways he hadn't even thought we possible. Plasma was in his deck. His father's murdered was dead. Sartorius was safe, and he was going to spend the summer with him and Sarina. He had a group of new friends to rely on. He had a new idea of where he could take his life.

He had a girl he was in love with.

As Aster gazed up at the stars, absentmindedly picking out constellations, no thought of Lia's 'one person' entered his head. Because if she could look at him like she had, if she could promise him her kisses when he proved himself to be the man she believed he could be, if she could ask, with a tinge of hope and fear colour her tone, if she was going to see him again...

Well, nothing was impossible and Destiny could be defied. Jaden had taught him that. So screw her 'one person' and screw his plan to love her from afar. He was lousy at that sort of thing anyway. He'd probably send out a bunch of mixed signals and get her all confused. He might not be the one in her heart, but that didn't mean he couldn't worm his way in. A little time and a lot of effort, and Aster thought he might be able to get her to see things his way. Until she actually told him that he wasn't the one, he was going to try. Come hell or high water, come apocalyptic gods or the end of the world, he was going to try.

Aster grinned at the sky splashed with stars, and wondered what his next year at Duel Academy was going to be like.

* * *

Ah, the end of it. Year Two has officially closed as far as the main storyline is concerned. I've gone as far as I can with it. The Light of Destruction has been defeated, and everything is as it once was.

Only it's not.

It can never be again.

Because things have CHANGED. Irreversibly, impossibly, things have changed. No one is who they were when the school year started, and no one can go back to what they once were. They've been cut too deep, they've been branded too much. All of them, but especially those that fought at the White Dorms. And Chazz. Because even though he wasn't there, he knows exactly what it means to not be the same person anymore.

Year One was about forming bonds. It was about risks and conseqeunces. It was about growing up, little by little. But at the end of Year One, things were okay. Syrus and Zane had a healthy relationship. Alexis had her brother back. Lia had people she could freely love. Jaden hd taken one step towards becoming a man. But they were OKAY. There were scars, but not the kind that couldn't heal. At the end of Year One all of them walked away, smiling and talking to each other.

Not here. Not this time.

I gave them Year One. I'm not pulling anymore punches.

I've broken them, every last one of them. I pushed Chazz to the brink of death. I tore down everything Alexis has worked so hard for. I've paralyzed Atticus with fear for his friends and I've wrecked anything good that was between Zane and Syrus. I've physically, mentally, and emotionally battered Lia. And no one is walking away from this. They're hobbling.

Year One was about risks and consequences. Year Two was an exploration of what happens when you _break _someone. I pushed all these characters as far as they would go. It hurt me to do it and I think it might've hurt you to read about it, but I did it. I took the Society of Light and turned it from kinda an in-joke of the series into something unnerving and unsettling. I took Aster's desire to be the hero and turned it into a complex that almost destroyed him. I took the Light of Destruction, and turned It into a god.

Because that, my dear readers, is what it is.

It is a god. It is a God beyond gods. It destrucion and ruin given form. I'm sorta scared that I did that, but I need It to be so much more than It was in the original. I need It to scare the living hell out of everyone, characters and readers and AUTHOR alike. I need It to be that much of nightmare, because I needed to break my characters this Year, and do things with them next Year. I needed a villain would shatter them to the core, because at the point, you find out what your character is really made of.

Year Two is about what happens when people are _broken_, and it's about what happens when those people -broken and bleeding and bruise _but not beaten- _get back up. I had to shatter my characters in order for them to be rebuilt into the people who could stand against the Light, and against what I have planned for next Year. I couldn't wait around for Jaden to realize the consequences of his actions until third Year. I couldn't wait for Chazz to finally find his own inner strength without challege. I couldn't wait for Alexis to figure out that she can do more than just cheer Jaden on. I needed them to realize that now, and in order for that to happen, I had to destroy all the perconcieved notions they had about themselves.

Because Year Two is also about finding your own power, digging in your heels when faced with a greater force, and saying " You'll have to go through me." That's what I needed my character to be able to do, and at the end of Year One, they wouldn't have been able to. Oh, they would've _tried_ of course, but I don't think they would've succeeded. Chazz would not have had the confidence and Alexis would've been too scared and Jaden...Jaden would still be too wrapped up in trying to figure out where he starts and Haou begins to be willing to let that power guide him. Atticus would've been more subtle in his protections and Mindy would've gotten lost in the shuffle like Brier, Jessica, Miriam and Ben did this year. Lia wouldn't have gotten so involved and Syrus would've been too scared to stand up, afraid of reliving the Beasts.

But I did more than put something on the line for them. I made them watch as the Light _painstakingly_ tortured the minds of the people they loved. I made they realize that sometimes, beggars can't be choosers, and sometimes, you can't worry about what could happen if you act, and worry about what _will _happen if you don't. Chazz nearly died, but he did so proving his will was stronger than a god's. Alexis bested that same god with her heart alone, and now, she can see it wherever it hides. Jaden gave into Haou, or at least partly gave into him, and he was able to drive the Light back from whence it came.

Year Two doesn't end on the same happy note Year One did. It couldn't. I've hurt these guys too deep and changed them too much for them to be able to go back to the way they were. Sometimes, things go wrong, and sometimes, you can never go home again. It's a painful truth, but you have to be strong enough to handle it. I broke them and remade them to be that strong. There are scars, and there are cracks, but through those cracks strength bled out, and from those scars, knowledge was gained. No matter what the Light told them, they are not ignorant. Not any more, anyway.

I took a risk writing this. I was scared it might not turn out right. I got a ton of writer's block and life got in the way. Now, I've finally finished Year Two and I am damn proud of it. I said everything I wanted to say. I prodded and pushed the characters into the people I need them to be. I made a monster that scared even me. All in all, I think this is the best thing I've ever written. And I couldn't let it end on such a painful note. There's been loss, and hurting, but there's also hope, and at the very end Aster decides what the hell? He'll go for it. He'll love Lia and try to get her to love him back.

Not that I'll make it that easy for him. They'll have to move mountains, but I'm starting to make them into the kind of people who can.

So Year Two ends on a hopeful note. After all they've been through, there's still a world full of love and light to look forward to, and come what may, they do still have each other.

Sorry this explanatin isn't as long as last Year's, but I felt that I don't need to indepth analyze the characters. You guys get them, just fine.

A few things before I go work on the Extras:

The Light calls Lia 'dawn star'. So did Yasmin.

This is a refernce to something long ago, a nickname, and a threat.

And Yasmin was wiser than the Light. It said she hadn't changed. Yasmin said Lia was different.

" There is only one whose love matters." True, and untrue at the same time.

Alexis Lightslayer is, in my humble opinion, a badass name. And she will wear it for the rest of her life.

Bastian is currently in an underground pseudo-lair in Germany somewhere, working with that Einstein knock-off.

Sartorius is giving up the fortune-telling business, and focusing on managing full-time.

Sarina still plans to return to Japan ever so often, where those boys who were her minions are working at a shrine.

Jaden's father's name is Sorimaru. Sori means 'sleigh' or 'sled', and is a reference to the 'snow' of Yuki.

Lt. Col. Sachiko Yuki has served with Thelonius Viper. Wrap your head around that.

Year Three will feature more 'Trials by Combat'.

' I greet you' and 'I bid you farewell' are incantations that mark the beginning of a Trial.

_In verbis, potentia_.

Okaeri means 'Welcome home'. I thought it was appropriate.

Lia can see Winged Kuriboh, but not any other duel spirit.

Winged Kuriboh's name is Alatus, meaning winged.

The Fall refers to a dark time when the Duel Spirits fought the Light...and lost.

Lia hasn't exactly been herself at several points during this year.

Lia and Aster have exchanged phone numbers. Atticus doesn't know.

Zane has yet to contact Syrus.

Syrus is debating staking out Zane's duels.

Atticus doesn't know about _anything_ that happened after Jaden left the dueling arena.

Ojin and Linda returned to Misgarth and dismantled the satellite.

Syrus dueled a random Obelisk at his promotion duel and _trounced _him, due to being angry about Zane.

Abeni and Syrus are now together.

Brier and Miriam are still together.

Jessica may or may not be together with another Ra.

Lia and Aster are not together, but half the school thinks they've slept together.

Atticus found the time to have three flings over the course of the year: two boys and one girl. One of the boys was a GX Tournament contestant.

Jesse _technically_ has a house in the Southern United States he can go to, but he spends most of his time in Norway, where his guardians live. According to some sources (mostly other fanfics) the Chancellor of North Academy is his guardian, but I am undecided at this point.

Nothing will ever by the same again.

And it is _far _from over.

I have no idea how to write Australian accents, so next Year is going to be _fun_. And by _fun_, I mean a pain.

I find Jim Cook to be a fun guy, Axel Brodie to be taking things _way _too seriously, and Adrian Gecko to be the kind of guy who should have every sentence end with '...I am a slimy bastard.', as my friends said of the villain in 'Hidalgo'.

There are Extas on the way, and I look forward to seeing you all on the Duel Academy campus for the opening rally of Year Three Part One: Journeys.

Sincerely and with love,

Mistress of Sarcasm

Onwards to drunken exploits!


	65. Extra 1: Last Friday Night

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_ or that Katy Perry song _Last Friday Night_. It just really worked too well here. Also, same thing as yesterday. Every hour on the hour. Enjoy!

* * *

**Year Two Extra 1: Last Friday Night**

* * *

Aster sighs, and leans up against Lia's bent knees. Above them, the stars glitter, but he is only half focusing on them. He shifts, uncomfortable.

" Your knees are kinda...bone-y." He says after a moment, emphasizing something that needs no emphasis. He snickers like he's told a fantastically witty joke. On the ground behind him, her back flat on the concrete, Lia smiles a little but doesn't laugh. She's got a higher tolerance than him. Not that it means much, given the amount they've consumed. Still, she can make out shapes and form proper sentences, and has yet to dissolve into a giggling mess of destroyed masculinity.

" All of me's bone-y." She imitates his pronunciation, and she is rewarded when he turns to rest his left arm on her knees like an arm rest. He has a nice grin, all bright and toothy and kinda like a kid. Lia's never thought of Aster like as childlike, but he looks it right then, the moonlight casting silver shadows on his face and the tense lines that so usually dot it smoothed over from the booze.

There's just a hint of roguish-ness to it too, kinda of like Atticus but different. Atticus plays with her, jokes with his come-on's and his natural sexuality. Aster's never looked ay anyone like that before, as far as Lia knows. She's never been someone's first before. It's a nice feeling; her stomach squirms a little, but in a good way.

" Nah." He rests his chin on his elbow. " Not all o' ya. This ain't." He pats her bare ankle. She doesn't remember losing her shoes, but her feet are bare and she can feel the grit of ground under them.

Aster's grin goes more roguish. Lia pretends her stomach doesn't flutter at the sight of him backlit over her.

" I really like this." He runs an appreciative hand up her calf. Normally, Lia knows she shriek and kick and curse him out. She'd throw him off of her in a heartbeat and claw his face off, red with indignation. She'd write it off as teasing gone too far and never once consider that maybe, he was being serious. She's good at that, at pretending that guys don't see her. Bastian has done a number on her, whether she wants to admit it or not.

But there's wine in her system – good wine, too. A present from her grandparents. She wonders if it's weird that she chose to share it with _Aster_ instead of anybody else- and some good whiskey that Aster had – and she doesn't ask why he had it, because it's not the polite thing to do when you're sharing drinks- and she's way too mellowed out to care. The world passes slowly overhead, her thoughts not scrambled, but harder to put in order. She knows she would usually hate this, but for the life of her, she can't figure out why. It isn't unpleasant. It feels kinda nice, actually. Aster's hand his bold, but it's not forceful or dangerous. Impulse takes over. His hand is warm, and there are small calluses on the fingers from years of drawing cards. It tickles.

" Careful, cowboy." She laughs it off. With the leg he's not hold – why is he still holding it? Ah well, it doesn't matter-, she reaches up to prod his shoulder with her foot. He half slips off of her one bent knee. His head turns, and he frowns for a moment as he looks at her foot. Lia can almost see the gears straining to turn in his head. He's farther gone than her, that's for sure. She snickers to herself. Aster glares at her sullenly for a moment, and then presses a dry kiss to her ankle in retaliation.

This time, Lia does squeak.

" O-Oi! Arrêtez-le!" She prods him again, and fails to keep the laughter from her face. Wasn't she worried about something? She can't remember as she lowers her leg. " Immédiatement!"

" You are so sexy when you do that." Aster wraps his arms around her knees, and rests his chin on their crests. Lia feels her face burn, and even the alcohol in her system can't downplay the impact of his words.

" D-Dummy." It can, however, lower her usually impressive vocabulary down to second-grade insults.

" Mmm." He hums against her legs. " Say it in French."

" No way." She's blushing, but she feels like grinning. No one in her group really appreciates the way she says certain words, not really. They think it's cute; no one's ever called her sexy before.

" C'mon, please."

" No way."

" I'll be your best frie~end!" He promises with that childish grin again. Lia can't help but answer it. The breeze smells of salt as it wafts off the ocean behind them. The stone under them has lost the heat gathered from the sun, cooled under the black sky. The stars twinkle behind Aster, and he looks so sweet and endearing that Lia's heart does a weird little skitter. How long has it been since she's had this much fun? She can't remember the last time she just sat down and _talked_ like this with someone, nothing and no one bothering her.

She wonders how long she can draw this out.

" That's not an in-insent-incenta..." She pouts as she stumbles over the words. Yeah, tipsy. _Definitely _tipsy. " Doesn't make me wanna do it."

He brushes his lips over her knees.

" Pretty, pretty please with ice cream and chocolate sauce and a cherry on top?"

Oh, that actually sounds really good. Lia's mouth waters as she thinks about an ice cream sundae, loaded down with chocolate sauce and sprinkles and whipped cream. She would kill to find an ice cream shop open this late, but she knows that's next to impossible. Stupid Aster, putting that thought in her mind.

" Nullard." She says before she realizes what she's doing, and Aster mock shivers.

" Oh _baby_." He fake moans. His grin is so bright that he makes the moon dim. His cheeks are flushed from the booze, and his blue eyes are a little hazy.

Lia pulls her legs apart.

With an 'oumph!' Aster fall onto her torso, his face pressed against her chest. Lia realizes in hindsight that it might not have been the best thing to do, because he knocks the wind out of her as he comes down like a ton of bricks.

" You're heavy." She groans. Aster shifts slightly.

" Your fault." He retaliates and then, just to be difficult, snuggles closer. Lia frowns. Alcohol or not, she's still self-conscious, and he's touching places he shouldn't be.

" You _do_ know where your head is, right?"

" Huh?" Aster blinks. Lia looks at him pointedly. More gears turn slowly.

Then Aster leaps back, bright red, and stutters out an apology.

" Oh Christ, I'm sorry!"

Lia snorts, appeased and insulted at the same time. She's a bundle of contradictions right now, comfortable on the hard ground, lightheaded but focused. Her chest feels cold without his weight.

" Mmm." Her response is non-committal. " 'S prolly worse for you. I mean, not like there's much cushion there?"

Aster raises a brow. He's still red as a stop sign.

" I'm flat, Aster."

" You're fine."

" No, seriously." She forces herself up. Still in motion she reaches for the hem of her hoodie. " I'm flat." She pulls the top off.

The cold air stings her shoulders. The top tumbles to the ground with a soft 'thump'. Aster is staring, bug-eyed, at her exposed chest, and somewhere in the back of her head, she's grateful she had the foresight to wear a pretty bra. The sudden change in temperature shocks some of her senses back, though. Lia is fifteen and self-conscious. She hates that she is less curvy than all of her other girlfriends. She hates that she spends months trying to catch Bastian's attention, only to fail every time. Lia is slender and her stature is not one that lends itself to large breasts and wide hips. While she isn't as lacking as she thinks she is, she is nowhere near Alexis' body type, and it hurts her a little. The cold air rips through the haze of booze and good feelings and reminds her that she is small, and flat, and Aster has partied with supermodels that make _Alexis_ look plain.

Fear grips her, but before it can swell into panic, the alcohol surges and disrupts its path, and she's left sitting awkwardly in front of a boy, sans shirt. She scrambles for something to say.

" See? Nothing." She pulls morosely at a bra strap, then falls back down on her back. Aster hovers, one hand by each of her hips. He stares at her, and she stares at the stars to avoid looking into his eyes.

" You look fine." He said seriously, all traces of happy-go-lucky booze-induced floaty-ness gone. Her head is spinning more now. She feels drunker than before. Have his eyes always been so deeply, perfectly blue? " You're the prettiest girl I've ever seen."

" What? Don't you look at Lexi or Jazz?" She rasps, because he's looking at her in a special way, and she's never seen anyone's eyes go so dark and focus so much. There's still a blush on his cheeks and across his nose, but his gaze is sharp, looking right down into her. Her stomach squirms again, more this time. Her heart skitters once more, pausing longer.

" No." He breathes. " I only look at you."

Ah, she's blushing now. Her head feels heavy. It's like a fever only with no headache. Words don't come anymore. Thoughts stop. The world consists of those perfectly blue eyes, burning away at her walls.

" Nu-Nullard!" She hisses, sitting up. Shaking and flushing, she tugs at his tie. " Strip!"

" What?" Thank God, now he's red too. She tugs the tie more insistently.

" It's not far that I'm the only one who's half-naked! So you strip too."

" Just put your shirt back on."

" Don't wanna." She says petulantly. Not when having her shirt off makes him look at her like _that_. She wants to keep having him look at her like _that_ for as long as possible.

Aster suddenly smirks.

" If you say it in French, I might just."

" Nuh-uh, it's all or nothing, Phoenix. Either you will or you won't."

" Fine." He concedes. " If you say it in French, I'll take my top off."

Lia gives her own smirk, and uses his tie to pull him close. She can smell the alcohol on his breath and his eyes are so dark that they look like the night sky. She tilts her head, and feels him hold his breath in anticipation.

" _Te déloques_." She half purrs. Aster's fingers fly to undo his tie, and when they fumble, Lia huffs. She reaches up and starts on the buttons of his black dress shirt. Aster finally yanks his tie off, and then watches her hands work. She stops when he hauls her onto his lap because, that's right, he was sitting in between her legs and now she's got a thigh on either side of him. He's breathing hard. So is she, come to think of it. As a thin strip of skin is revealed by his parting shirt, Lia finds herself thinking again of ice cream sundaes, and sprinkles, but when her mind drifts to chocolate sauce and whipped cream, she stares hard at his chest. In the haze that her mind has settled into, she wonders what it would look like with a splash of chocolate on it, dark ribbons running down those hard muscles towards the hem of his pants...

She pushes the shirt off his shoulder.

" There." Why does she sound so breathless? " Now we're even."

" Yeah." His thumbs stroke the skin just above her jean shorts. Anticipation curls in her gut. Those eyes are promising her something, something good, and she'll be damned if it's kept from her. They're getting closer, and bigger, and her own eyelids are starting to feel heavy, and she can smell something under the alcohol now, and it's crisp and clean and she wonders if it's his toothpaste or aftershave or something and...and...

" _Get the HELL away from her!_"

...and she's being hauled off of him by a grabbing hand. She looks up, and smiles despite the fury in the other boy's face.

" Uh-oh, Atty's ma~ad." She grins at Aster. " You're in trou-ble."

Aster climbs to his feet unsteadily, and ends up leaning against the side of his boat for balance. Atticus is swearing as he shrugs off his jacket.

" Put some clothes on!" He throws it over her. As she puts her too-short-arms through the sleeves, he glares. " You skipped the dance for _this_?"

" I do what I wanna do." Lia says simply.

" Like getting drunk with a boy?"

Lia waves off his anger.

" Quit butting in. You're not my dad, so it's none of your business."

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Aster wince. Ah, right. Dad. Probably shouldn't have used that word. Atticus throws his hands up in a plea for strength, and then takes her by the wrist.

" C'mon. We're going to the Blue Dorm and you are gonna sleep this off in Lexi's room."

" Hang on!" She pulls her hand free. She wobbles over to Aster. " I wasn't raised in a...thing. I need t' say g'night first!"

She smiles at her drinking companion, her stomach still tightening a little.

" Thank you for a lov- a love-y- a _nice_ evening." She grabs a hold of his shirt lapels and tries to kiss him on the cheek. Unfortunately her, balance is gone, the blood is rushing to her head, and she's drunker than she realized. Her kiss lands on the corner of his mouth. She frowns.

" Sorry." She tries for the other side. The other corner of his mouth. " Merde alors."

Her third kiss smacks him right on his mouth, her lips on his, and before he can respond, or she can open her mouth a little to breathe and give her tongue some room, Atticus is hauling her away by the back of his jacket, almost snarling. As she leaves, Aster presses something into her hands.

She and Atticus are halfway down the peer before she remembers to look down.

Oh, _there_ are her shoes.

* * *

*Snickers*

Lia: *open mouthed* That _did not_ happen.

Oh, I think it did. I _really_ think it did.

Aster: She kissed me? She _kissed me_ and I _forgot_?

*Singing* '_Yeah we danced on tabletops and we took too many shots. Think we kissed but I forgot. Last Friday Night~!_'

Lia: *running off* Excuse me, I need to go hide. _Forever_.

*Still singing* '_We went streaking in the park, skinny dipping in the dark, then had a menage a trois. Last Friday Night~!_'

Lia: THAT LAST ONE DID _NOT HAPPEN_!

MoS


	66. Extra 2: Sex Ed

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_ or NOVA's _The Miracle of Life_. And I don't know if there even _is_ a French version, but in this universe, there is.

* * *

**Year Two Extra 2: The Sexual Education of Jaden Yuki**

* * *

" Now, just sit down, and be quiet. The sooner we start this, the sooner it'll be over."

" You're not making me feel very comfortable here, Koneko-chan."

" I'm not here to comfort you. I'm here to educate you. Now shut up."

" C'mon, do we have to do this?"

" Jay, stop arguing."

" Sy, you're supposed to be on my side!"

" Well, if you hadn't slept through Sex Ed, we wouldn't be here, now would we?"

" She's got a point Jay."

" And so do I. We don't have to do this."

" Um, yeah we do. We drew the straws."

" You can just _ignore_ the straws."

" One does not question the law of the straws."

" Okay Sy, kinda taking it too seriously now."

" Hmph. Says the student of a school for _card games_."

" You're enrolled here too, Koneko-chan."

" Academic."

" Point to Lia."

" What, you're still keeping track?"

" Someone has to, Kitten."

" _What was that?_"

" Lia. I said Lia."

" You're damn right you did. Now play the film."

" No! C'mon you guys!"

" Syrus."

" And...play."

* * *

" 'Our bodies wanna make babies'."

" Mine doesn't."

" Shut up Jaden, I'm trying to translate."

" And if I have to keep pausing and rewinding in order for Lia to make sure you understand everything, we're gonna be here all weekend."

" But my body doesn't wanna make babies! Does yours?"

" Do you want me to answer that?"

" ...No, not really."

" I didn't think so. Syrus, play."

" I hate my life."

" We hate ours too right now, Jay."

" But not as much as we hate you."

" ..."

" Quit groaning, this isn't even the worst part."

* * *

" What am I even looking at?"

" That would be a fetus, genius."

" ..._Why the fuck am I looking at this?_"

" Oh calm down, Jay. We all had to sit through this at one point in our lives. It's not _that _bad."

" No, it's that bad. It's _that bad!_"

" Calmez-vous!"

" ...Did you just bitch-slap me?"

" You were being a bitch. It seemed appropriate."

" So Jaden is Lia's bitch?"

" You want one too, Trusedale?"

" Playing the video."

" Okay, where were we? ... 'Including a brain that allows you to do _remarkable _things', emphasis his."

* * *

" _What is __**that?**_"

" Sperm."

" _Why are sperm on __**video?**_"

" Because I doubt they would shown porn in schools as educational material. Pipe down and let me talk."

" You know, I'd forgotten this. I'd forgotten most of this. And now, it's all coming back to me in a blur. A painful, scarring blur. Thanks Jay."

" _Wait, scarring? Nobody said anything about scarring!_"

" 'The secret behind life's greatest miracle.'"

" _I'm fine with it staying a secret, just don't show me anymore of those things!_"

* * *

" Oh god, if they start showing animals then I-"

" Too late."

" _Argh!_"

" What even are those things?"

" Dunno. Holy shit."

" Are those crocodiles?"

" Yes, yes I believe they are."

" Lia, are you okay?"

" Fine, just fine. No problems whatsoever. Hey, Jaden doesn't look so good."

" ..."

" We're barely _four minutes in!_ Stop whimpering!"

" ...Animal...sex..."

" God, I do _not_ want to be the one who introduces him to porn."

" You said it. Shall I play?"

" By all means."

* * *

" Wow. Computer graphics at their finest."

" Lia, this was made in 1983! It's 2023!"

" Wait, this was made 40 years ago?"

" Oh, are you coherent again? It thought the animal sex broke you."

" Sh-Shut up! It was unexpected! How the hell was I supposed to handle it!"

" He has a point. When I first saw this, I jumped a little at that part. Didn't you, Lia?"

" When I was six I saw two lions mating on the reserve my dad worked at. No, the animal sex didn't bother me."

" So you got the talk early in life, huh?"

" Jaden?"

" Yes Koneko-chan?"

" Shut up and watch the bad CGI of DNA."

" Yes ma'am."

* * *

" _Why is there bug sex?_"

" _I don't know, okay? I don't know!_"

" _Both of you, shut up! I can't hear the narrator!_"

* * *

" 'But it's also quite tricky.'"

" How tricky can it be? Akimi-chan's doujinshi made it look damn easy! Insert something into something else!"

" Jaden, didn't you say those things were about male homosexuality? You know, guys having sex with other guys?"

" Well, I think so. They would make a lot more sense that way! It always seemed kinda skewed when I thought one of them was a girl, and I could never really understand what was going on."

" This video is about heterosexual relationships, Jay. Men and women. _Reproduction._"

" Which is apparently 'tricky?'"

" 'To get an idea of how tricky, just take a peek...inside a man's...testicle.'"

" ...Wait, _wha-_"

* * *

" I am _never _going to be able to look at my balls again!"

" Yeah, I felt the same way the first time I watched this."

" Oh just wait until the end. Then you'll understand the appeal of abstinence."

" Huh?"

" Trust me, boys, every woman who ever watched this special walked away from it saying,' I am _never_ having kids!'"

" Why?"

" You'll see, Jaden. You'll see."

" ...Syrus, I'm scared."

" You should be."

" Not of the video. Of Lia."

" You should be."

" Play, Syrus."

* * *

" Oh _god!_"

" Why did I agree to this? I _hate_ this part!"

" Hey, I hate to sit through what your balls look like on the inside, you can stand to watch this!"

" I'm never having sex with a woman! Never! I'll just be picturing this scene over and over again and it will ruin everything!"

" I don't think there was ever any danger of _that_, Jay."

" Lia?"

"' If the egg is not fertilized within a few hours, it will die.'"

" I don't need to see that!"

* * *

" Note the emphasis on the wedding rings."

" Yeah, kids, don't have sex unless you're married and in love."

" What are you guys on about?"

" This was made in the early 80's, Jay. Promiscuity wasn't as accepted as it is today."

" And hell, _premarital sex_ wasn't as accepted as it is today."

" Yeah, nowadays, you just kind go with the flow and have sex when you feel like it, but the moral guardians of this video would like to remind you that if you have sex outside of marriage, it's bad."

" And what's all this 'when love is in the air' bullshit. I mean yeah, you can be in love and have sex, but you don't _have_ to be. It's called being horny."

" Uh, guys?"

" Hmm? Oh right, the video."

" Sorry chéri. Uh, let's see ...oh, hi rainbow people!"

" Ah, this part."

" I remember feeling like I was at the beginning of a very boring porno at this part."

" Guys!"

" Jeez, Jay, I thought you didn't want to do this."

" I don't! But you won't let me leave, and I want it over with!"

" '...allowing the spongy tissue in the penis to fill with blood."

" ..._What?_"

* * *

" 'Millions of sperm are squeezed out of storage and swept up by fluid gushing from several glands, including the prostate.'"

" What am I looking at? _What the FUCK am I looking at?_"

" An erect penis about to come?"

" From the inside, of course."

" _Why are you both so calm?_"

" We sat through this nightmare already, Jay."

" I'm just good at hiding my emotions. Oh look, he came...Stop screaming Jaden, people will think we're torturing you."

* * *

" It's _acidic?_"

" Moving on!"

* * *

" Oh hey, more computer graphics!"

" I think I'm gonna be sick."

" You? How do you think _I _feel! That's supposed to be what _I_ look like on the inside."

" _I'm trying not to think about that!_"

" 'It's estimated that more than 50% of all fertilized eggs fail to develop.'"

" Wait, then how are people pregnant in the first place?"

" Jay, do want to focus on the statistics, or do you want to fly through this thing so that you can get out of here and start repressing everything but the bare essentials?"

" ...Lia, please keep translating."

* * *

" '...and the ball of cells squeezes ou-' Hey!"

" Jaden, don't you dare!"

" Where the hell do you think you're going? You are _not _making a break for it! You will sit through this entire thing and you will _like_ it!"

" _Never!_"

" Telling him to like it might be taking it a bit far, Lia."

" Syrus, grab the duct tape! He's gonna sit in this chair 'til the bitter end!"

* * *

" Why is it blue?"

" Do you want me to use duct tape on your mouth too?"

" ...No?"

" Then shut up. Syrus, unpause it."

* * *

" Oh Jesus Christ in Heaven is that-"

" Yup, that's it's brain. Kinda. Sorta. Just listen to the narrator. And by narrator, I mean Lia."

" 'As the days pass, changes proceed at a rapid-fire pace throughout the embryo.'"

* * *

" 'This is the embryo four and half weeks after fertilization.'"

" Whatever I've done to deserve this, I'm sorry! I'll never do it aga-is that a _tail?_"

" Yep."

" ..."

" I think you broke him Sy."

* * *

" Okay, Jay, _now_ it's that bad."

" _I don't want to see this, I don't want to __**see this!**_"

" Hey, we sat through it, so can you."

" _**Oh god in Heaven whyyyyyyyyy?**_"

" I'll use duct tape on your eyes. Don't think I won't."

" _**Boku no me!**_"

" I have no idea what you're saying, but from the way you keep trying to move your hands, I assume you want to claw your eyes out."

" _**Karera was moyasu!**_"

" Aaaaaand we've lost him."

" We should probably keep his restrained until he stops trying to hurt himself."

" Yeah, that's probably a good idea."

" _**NAZE?**_"

" ...He's rather loud, isn't he?"

* * *

" Well, that's over with."

" Yep."

" ...Jaden, stop crying."

" ..."

" Well, I think we can all agree that what happened in this room stays in this room."

" Oh, definitely. ...Jaden agrees too."

" Good. If you'll all excuse me, I'm going to go back to my dorm room, boot up my computer, and drown out the memory of that special with as much porn as my internet connection can provide me with."

" Don't forget to delete your browser history when you're done, Syrus."

" Bye guys!"

" Bye Syrus."

" ..."

" ...If you promise to stop crying, I will unbind you from the chair."

* * *

In order to get the comedic timing for this just right, I had to go and rewatch _The Miracle of Life_. I rewatched _The Miracle of Life_ for you guys, in order to bring you this. Think about that.

Also, since I didn't want to bother Mizumaru Mari at this late hour, any all Japanese will be courtesy of Google Translate. I'm sorry in advance for any grammatically or semantic errors, but some things just needed to be in Jaden's native tongue.

I tried to get him to say " My eyes! They burn! WHYYYY?" I don't know if I succeeded. I hope I did.

MoS


	67. Extra 3: This is For Me

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_. And I'm not sorry for this one little bit!

* * *

**Year Two Extra 3: This One is For Me**

* * *

Jaden angrily disconnects the calls and sets about grinding his teeth in irritation. All around him, his friends blink at the uncharacteristic display of temper.

" Bad news?" Syrus ventures at length. Jaden just growls. It's a little frightening, given that this is _Jaden Yuki_, he of the perpetual smiles. Then again, the memory of his sullen expression and silent moves in the duel with the Light make their way to the forefront of the minds of the Slacker Club, and Jaden's foul mood suddenly doesn't seem so out of character. Jaden's been on edge since that last duel, trying hard to be his usual goofy self only to fail when Atticus, Mindy, and Jasmine leave. For Alexis and the others, he allows himself to be true to his own heart.

He is as lost as they were. And he can't find his way any easier than the rest of them.

" What's wrong?" Alexis asks, brave as ever. Jaden's glare softens from furious to merely sullen under her undaunted gaze.

" Osa-Someone I know woke up." He says, hoping they didn't catch his slip-up. He knows they did, and thanks them for not pressing. He is also grateful that Atty is nowhere in sight, and Jazz and Mindy have a Duel Strategy exam at the moment.

" Woke up?" Lia plays with the buttons on her camera. At her side, Aster leans over to watch the pictures flit by on the small screen. Lia scowls at him, but doesn't move to shove him away. Jesse watches them from beside Jaden with a knowing little smile.

" Yeah, he was...he got hurt when I was younger and..." Jaden trails off again, unsure of how to continue. Alexis comes to his rescue.

" A coma patient?"

That makes Lia look up and Hassleberry stop silently threatening Chazz.

" Yes." Jaden lowers his eyes so that they won't see the look on his face. That image from the duel with Ojin plays in his head, the card-strewn table, the flashes of purple and silver, the terrible strain on his friend's face as he fell-

" Do you have even one normal memory, Slacker?" Chazz tries to hide his concern under a layer of antagonism. It fails spectacularly.

" Not even one." Jaden sighs. It's a little depressing, how he doesn't even have to think about his answer.

" So what's th' problem?" Jesse's drawl startles him out of his thoughts.

" Well..." How to phrase this in a way they'll understand? " My friend was moved to a special hospital. It's too far for me to get to on my own, and there's no way anyone would want to come with me, and it'll be too much of a hassle to set up a daytrip when I get home. But Akimi-chan has family in the area that she's going to visit in a couple of weeks, so she could find out some stuff for me. The problem is..."

" She won't?" Alexis guesses.

" Kinda. The thing with Akimi-chan is that she won't do anything for free. You have to pay for it." He runs a hand through his bangs.

" What's she askin' fo'?" Jesse prompts, and Jaden lets his head drop into his arms.

" The usual."

" What's the usual, Sarge?"

Jaden gives a pained moan.

" Aw, c'mon Aniki. It can't be that bad."

" It can and it is."

" Just tell us." Lia says impatiently. She has an exam in an hour, and her nerves are strained to their breaking point. Aster carefully rubs her shoulders to relieve the tension. He dares to do so because Atticus isn't there. " We'll help."

Jaden's head shoots up.

Oh.

Oh, he could do that.

It'd be hell to explain but...

He looks around the group. They're all usually good sports...

" Um, Jay?" Alexis looks wary. Jaden dismisses her and looks around the table. Hassleberry and Syrus are out, that'd be too weird. And he can't touch Aster, because Lia, whether she'll admit or not, has some kinda claim on him. And god, Chazz'd _murder _him, bring him back, and then murder him again. If Atticus were here, Jaden is sure he could help him but he isn't...

Well, that just leaves one person.

Casually, Jaden flips open his phone and holds it out to Lia.

" You know how to use the camera option on these things to take videos, right?"

" Sure..." Lia takes the phone and holds it like she expects it to bite her.

" Cool. Start recording in like, ten seconds, okay?"

" Yes?" She fiddles with it, but still eyes it like most people eye a cobra. Jaden turns so that he is straddling the bench under him, and faces Jesse.

He can feel the surprise of all his friends when he bows so low his forehead nearly brushes the seat.

" For what I am about to do, I apologize wholeheartedly." It's not quite the same, said in English, but it's the closest he can come to a formal apology. He scoots forward, and puts his hands on Jesse's shoulders. " Lia, now."

" Huh? What're you-"

" Koneko-chan."

" Oh fine." A click. " There, it's going."

" Good." He nods.

Then he cups Jesse's face in his hands and kisses him.

Nobody moves. Jesse's eyes fall shut out of habit. The only sound is the soft press of the two boys as Jaden tilts Jesse's head back a little further. Then there's a squeak as what she is seeing registers for Lia. Alexis' hand slaps over her mouth to contain her own sound, and Syrus elbows Hassleberry hard when the boy opens his mouth to yell. Chazz says nothing. His jaw is on the table. Aster alone blinks, shrugs, and leans back to enjoy the show.

One of the two makes a soft noise in the back of his throat. Jaden moves closer, bumping knees, and Jesse yields to him. From the way Jaden is kissing, it's clear he's done this before. Blood threatens to trickle out of Alexis' nose. There's another noise, this one louder and breathier, and then Jaden disengages, pulling back with a sigh. Jesse leans forward to chase his mouth for half a second before he realizes what he's doing. His eyes fly open in shock. Jaden fans himself, red at the cheeks and looking pleased.

" You uh..." He licks his lips. Jesse, Alexis, and Lia go red. Well, Jesse goes redder. " You can stop recording."

A click.

Jaden hold his hand out for the device, and Lia hands it over, staring at him like he dropped out of the sky. He takes the phone and presses a few buttons, uploading the video file as an attachment on his text. He grins.

" Koko ni aru, fujoshi no baka! O shiharai!" He presses send. And then he realizes all his friends are staring at him.

" What?"

" You...You..." Alexis stutters. Lia nods in agreement.

" A-Aniki...you..."

Aster smirks.

" You gave us one hell of a show."

" Huh?" Realization hits him. " Oh! That! Um, Akimi-chan has...um, what's the word...kakaku, but that's Japanese...ah...a...price?"

" Price?" Aster looks intrigued.

" Yeah. If I want her to do something for me, I have to do something for her."

" Like kiss Jesse?"

" Like kiss a boy." Jaden scowls. " Fujoshi no baka." He notices Aster's confusion. " She's a fujoshi."

He gets a blank look.

" It's a girl who...uh, well...she...enjoys yaoi..." More blank looks. Mindy and Jasmine would've known what he meant, he's sure of it. " ...Guy on guy?"

" Oh, she's into homoeroticism." It's amazing Aster can say that with a straight face.

" Can't say I blame her." Alexis murmurs, mostly unheard.

" Yeah, so ah...when I want her to do something for me, I have to pay her kakaku...her price. And when she says...oh god, hang on, I need to translate...when she says 'The same as usual', she means a kiss."

" So that's why you kissed Jesse?"

Jaden nods and then turns to bow again to Jesse, who is still flushed and dazed-eyed.

" Sorry for that. I just really needed Akimi-chan's help."

" S'okay, sugah." Jesse says in a voice that says he's a million miles away. Jaden smiles and the conversation starts up again awkwardly. Jaden doesn't notice it, but Alexis throws glances at his phone ever so often, wondering how she can get a hold of this Akimi and convince her to send Alexis a copy of that video.

* * *

I make no apologies. I had to get it out of my system, but I think I just made it worse.

In my head canon, Jaden and Jesse proceeded to make-out like horny teenagers in the back row of a movie theatre.

Jaden: Oh god, you're _one of them_!

Hmmm?

Jesse: You, ma'am, are a pervert. An' Ah'd never say 'sugah'.

You would if Jaden had just started sucking on your tongue.

Jesse: _He did no such thin'!_ You keep y'r smut fantasies t' y'rself!

And then he started running his nails along your scalp...

Jesse: OH gawd, shut up!

...and slowly slid up onto your lap, pressing his hips down at that exact, _perfect_ spot-

Jesse: Ya have a _filthy _mahnd!

Jaden: *hissing* _Fujoshiiiiiii!_

And damn proud.

Jesse: Ah can't look at'cha. Ah just _can't_.

Jaden: I don't trust fujoshi. Not after the things I've gone through with Akimi-chan.

Whatever. More Google Translate Japanese! Yay!

Koko ni aru, fujoshi no baka! O shiharai - Here it is, you stupid fujoshi! Payment!

Remember, to err is human!

Jaden: You are a perverted, perverted woman, and I will never trust you again.

The funny thing is, we actually got to _study_ fujoshi in one of my classes. They're a _fascinating_ subculture.

Jesse: Ah feel vaholated!

Jaden: You? I'm the one she wants to straddle you!

Jesse: An' Ah'm th' one _gettin'_ straddled!

Are you two seriously telling me that you've never considered it, even once?

Jesse: ...No comment.

Jaden: Shut up, stupid fujoshi!

Well, this is certainly a can of worms. But I'm still the god here and if I want you two to make out like you're in the back row at the theatre, then I will.

Jaden: Oh god, she's worse then a fujoshi! She's a God Mode!Fujoshi!

Jesse: ...Help me!

And for the record, I totally think Jesse tops, but he's kinda unsure about how Jaden feels about him, so Jay would have to coax him into until Jesse felt confidant enough to take control and...*stares dreamily into space; blood drips from nose*

Jesse: That is all o' th' creepy.

Jaden: We should make a run for it while she's distracted.

Jesse: Good plan.

Huh? *comes out of it; sees Jaden and Jesse running off* They ran off _together? _*squees*

MoS

I'm still not apologizing.


	68. Extra 4: Laundry Day

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two Extra 4: Laundry Day**

* * *

When Lia throws her laundry bag onto the table, both Mindy and Jasmine know their day of reckoning has arrived.

" There is something I would like to say to you both." She starts to pull open the bag. " In fact, there are several somethings that I feel need to be addressed." She reaches into the depths of the bag and extracts a filmy, soft white top.

" This is not mine."

She digs a little deeper, and pulls out a red top with a dangerous V-neck.

" Neither is this."

Next, a drapey shirt with the shoulders cut out that fades from pale blue to white from top to bottom.

" Neither is this thing."

A pink baby-doll shirt with a high neck.

" Not this either."

A sea green blouse.

" And definitely not this."

A spaghetti strap tank top.

" I don't wear this style of clothing."

A black halter top with silver sequins.

" So I wouldn't by these things."

A jeans skirt that would barely reach the minimum set in the regulations.

" And yet-"

A green dress with black trim and a sweetheart neckline.

" –things like this-"

A flouncy pleated skirt with a flower design.

" –keep showing up-"

A pair of low-rise, flared bottom jeans.

" –in my laundry." Lia levels both girls with a dark glare. On the table, a staggering pile of brightly colour clothes lays between them.

" I know you had something to do with this."

Jasmine and Mindy share a look. The easiest thing to do would be to make a run for it, but neither girl likes her odds if Lia decides to start throwing things after them. The Ra's aim is the stuff of legends. And there are many items, some that will cause a great deal of damage if they hit, scattered around her. Like chairs. And cutlery. Especially knives. Both Mindy and Jasmine gulp as they look at the utensils they just finished using, and decide to try their luck.

" We didn't put anything in there that wouldn't look good on you." Jasmine tries to sound all-knowing and wise. One look from Lia has her contemplating dropping right under the table in fear. She goes with it.

" We just wanted to add to your wardrobe, Lia." Mindy tries appeasement. She is so sweet that is usually works. But Lia is in a foul mood –who knows why- and all Mindy's smiles does is aggravate her further.

" Are you saying I'm incapable of buying my own clothes?"

" Well, you certainly don't buy anything with spice." Jasmine peeks over the edge of the table and scoots right back under when Lia looks at her. Mindy waves the question away.

" Of course not. It's just that you don't wear things that suit you."

" I'm comfy."

" And so's this." Mindy holds up the baby-doll shirt. " I have one just like it, and it's the nicest thing to wear on a warm day."

" And we _do_ spend a lot of time on a tropical island." This time, Jasmine doesn't try to pull her head up. Her voices drifts up from somewhere under the white and blue tablecloth.

" It's too tight."

" It's fine. It breathes." Mindy assures her, but Lia is burning a hole in the tablecloth while Jasmine whimpers.

" That's not it."

" Ah." Mindy blinks. " Well, if that's all, I don't think you should have any complaints."

Lia stares.

" You're cute as a button and your figure is nowhere near as bad as you make it out to be."

" Easy for you to say." Lia is sullen now, not angry, so Jasmine cautiously rights herself in her chair.

" Look, Lia, looking like this," Mindy gestures to her chest, " isn't all it's cracked up to be. There _are_ drawbacks."

" Like the lower back pains." Jasmine says, rubbing the area subconsciously.

" And the fact that nothing seems to fit right, or ends up making you look...ways you don't particularly feel like looking." Mindy sighs.

" And then there's the fact that you know people – mostly guys- are only coming over to talk to you because of your tits."

" And have you ever tried finding a bra in this size?" Alexis asks, suddenly joining the conversation. Atticus, who is with her, goes pale.

" Please don't talk about your bras, Sissy. I could live my life happily never knowing a goddamn thing about them."

Alexis continues on as if he hadn't spoken.

" And there are _no_ pretty ones. None. It's damn difficult to find one that even fits, let alone a nice one that fits. Trust me, it's a 'beggar's can't be choosers' kinda situation."

But Lia had gone very still. Her eye twitches, and then she dives for her laundry bag. She roots around for a moment, and then emerges, something lacy and pale green clutched in her hands.

" Pretty like _this_ you mean?" She throws the article of clothing on the table.

Of course, calling it an article of clothing is a bit of stretch.

It's lacy, and pale green edged with black, little flowery vines creeping up it. It's filmier than the white thing Lia first used in her demonstration and if she wasn't so angry, she'd probably never have brought it up. She's in public, after all, and the lacy, flowery, green-y thing that really doesn't count as clothing because clothing should at least _cover_ things, is not something that is generally displayed in public.

" I saw it at Victoria Secret and figured it would suit you. Lucky I knew your size from all those fittings, huh?" Mindy smiles her sweet smile, and Jasmine mentally bids her friend a fond farewell. Once Lia unfreezes from her shock, Mindy is a dead woman.

Fortunately for her, something else comes along to interrupt Lia's murderous rampage.

Atticus leans over the back of Jasmine's chair, eyes the piece, and then slowly lets his eyes drag up Lia's form. The younger girl, sensing an affront to her person, glares at him.

" What?"

The slow, sensual smile that pulls his lips makes her shiver where she stands.

" Oh nothing." He is purring. He is actually _purring_, and Lia can only thank God that there is a table in between him and her. She doesn't want to think about what would happen if she was within touching range. A hungry look enters his suddenly dark eyes.

" I just happen to think that you would look _fabulous_ in this." He twists a strap of the lacy, flowery, green-y thing around his index finger and holds it out to her, eyes undressing her where she stands. Lia gulps loudly. Atticus licks his lips, leaning just the tiniest bit closer.

And then Alexis decks him so hard he goes flying, his sister chasing after him, screaming about perverts. Lia goes a burning shade of red, gathers up all her clothes, throws them into the neglected bag, and runs for it.

" Is it safe?" Jasmine asks after a minute. In the background, Alexis hauls Atticus up by his collar and starts shrieking right in his face. Mindy sympathetically pats Jasmine's shoulder.

And decides not to tease Lia the next time she sees her by pointing out that the younger girl had grabbed the lingerie along with everything else.

* * *

Mindy and Jasmine like to sneak things into Lia's laundry bag when she isn't looking, remember? This is why when she packs, all her clothes no longer fit in her suitcase.

And I'd be embarrassed too, if my friends bought me lingerie, though I may have the sense not to wave it in front of a pervert like Atticus. Also, in regards to last chapter, I think Atty will be very disappointed he wasn't there, and I imagine it would've gone something like this:

" Atticus!"

" Yeah Jay?"

" I need you to kiss me."

" ...Baby, why didn't you say something sooner?" *Purr*

And then they'd full-on make out. And Jesse would be jealous.

Jesse: No Ah wouldn't!

Shut up, I'm fantasizing. You know, as far as Year-verse goes, if I wasn't a Spiritshipper, I'd probably support this version of Atty with Jaden. What is Atticus/FubukixJaden/Juudai even called?

MoS


	69. Extra 5: Royalshipping ABC

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two Extra 5: The Royalshipping Alphabet**

* * *

**Adventurer**

Alexis came to Duel Academy for two reasons: Because it was where her brother was, and it promised her far more exciting things that her mundane life in Edmonton ever could.

**Bluegrass**

Zane swore Alexis to secrecy about his favourite music style, but when it was just the two of them, she was allowed to tease him until the tips of his ears were red.

**Crayfish**

In the days before the Hell Kaiser, but in the days after Atticus vanished, Zane, when he wasn't brooding or too busy, let himself think about how pretty Alexis would look in the candlelight of a lobster dinner, tucked away in a booth with him where no one could disturb them.

**Dry-clean**

Alexis' hands trembled as she pulled out the white uniform, perfectly encased in a plastic slip, from the back of her closet as she packed to go home.

**Earmark**

Alexis narrowed her blank eyes as she stared at Zane Trusedale, taking him in; it was pathetic, really, the depths he'd had to sink to just to survive, and, in doing so, isolated himself from the Light forever.

**Fluorite**

Zane didn't like the new Alexis, with her white skirt and her expressionless eyes, like windows that had had the blinds shut behind them.

**Grate**

Alexis wondered once in a while if Zane needed her in the way she needed him: a backbone, a framework that kept her in once piece when she felt ready to fly apart.

**Hamburger**

They never went on a real date, but it was hardly unusual to see the Kaiser and the Queen of Obelisk Blue grabbing a bite to eat together.

**Improvise**

He'd planned to avoid her at all costs, but when he saw her in white, he realized that he didn't know what to do- he had no idea how to act when she looked at him like an enemy.

**Junk Food**

Alexis hoarded her chips and chocolate bars and only Zane knew where to find them- meaning if there was something missing from her stash, she knew exactly who was to blame.

**Knowing**

There was a distinct difference between wondering what it was like to kiss Zane and knowing what it was like, and that little peck in first year didn't do the knowledge justice.

**Light-hearted**

It would never be the same again, no matter how Alexis wished for it to be; those happy, carefree days had burned under the Light of Destruction.

**Mischievous**

Zane's first thought when Atticus introduced him to his sister was that she was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen- and that he was a little scared of the look in her eyes.

**Needle**

Nothing could stitch them back together; the schism ran too deep for the seams to be repaired.

**Oxidizing Agent**

Seeing him there, dressed in black and carting around duel shockers just made the distant memories in her heart rust over a little more.

**Pike**

It was like taking a spear to the chest, realizing that somehow, someone had destroyed his good-hearted Lexi.

**Query**

" What exactly do you think Jaden is?" It was just one more question that Zane never answered.

**Riches**

All the money and duel titles in the world meant nothing if he couldn't find the strength to protect Syrus and Alexis with his own two hands.

**Secondary**

She hated that she was an after-thought in his life, and then hated that it bothered her so much.

**Tuft**

Zane liked to pull on a lock of hair when Alexis got too animated or angry; her pouting lips were too adorable for words.

**Upright**

As she staggered away from him, lurching from side to side and calling helplessly to the empty sky, Zane fought the urge to sink to his knees in exhaustion; only his pride in doing what he'd set out to do kept him on his feet.

**Vocal**

Alexis was never scared of his brooding nature or his lack of noise; she just decided to talk enough for the both of them until he could use words, or she could speak silence.

**Waterloo**

Zane defeated her, it was as simple as that; he defeated her and saved her, and never once raised a card against her.

**XO**

1: She was Sartorius' right hand, and she refused to be bested by the man in front of her, stinking of darkness and filthy to her opened eyes.

2: His kiss burned her, burned her differently than how the Light burned her, and she sank into his arms, most of her cursing her powerlessness, but one, tiny part that had hidden deep inside of her pumped its fist in the air with elation.

**Yoke**

Sartorius had made her a slave, and Zane was not going to stand by and watch his free-spirited, strong Alexis dance on someone's puppet strings.

**Zero**

In the end, he left her alone and she didn't chase him, instead staying with her friends and wondering, whenever she had a spare moment, what would've happened if she had.

* * *

Actual drabble-y stuff. There are a couple more like this. But this one is for Zane and Alexis, who have a rather interesting relationship in Year-verse. Even I'm not sure how these two work.

And I wrote it.

...

I think this might be a problem.

MoS


	70. Extra 6: 11 Truths About Chazz

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two Extra 6: 10 and 1 Truths About Chazz**

* * *

1. Chazz doesn't remember his parents' faces.

(They die in a plane crash when he's very young. Too young to really remember them. There are pictures, of course, in albums and in newspapers and hell, one of the servants has a scrapbook of their wedding. He knows he has his mother's nose and his father's chin, and all three boys have their grandfather's eyes colour and complexion. But in his own memories, Chazz can't find Ulrike and Darc Princeton sharp, keen eyes or their carefully quirked lips, hiding soft smiles at their sons' antics. Instead, Chazz has soft voices, singing him to sleep as a storm rages outside, or strong hands lifting him high in the air as he squeals in delight. He remembers being held like he was made of glass, and told that he was made of gold. Faces don't matter than much to him, even if he does steal the albums from the study and hide them under his bed. He has something more. Chazz has the memory of being loved, and some days, that's all that sustains him.)

2. Their deaths are about the only thing he does blame Slade and Jagger for.

(Slade and Jagger, monsters that they can be and monsters that they became in the aftermath, loved their parents as well. Maybe not as much as they love power, and maybe not in the same way Chazz does, but they loved them the way any child loves a parent: blindly, deeply, and with a growing resentment that turns to understanding as time marches on. Perhaps that was the biggest problem. Slade and Jagger never reached that understanding. They remained trapped in their teenage anger and desire for independence that was never truly won. Whatever battle they'd been prepared to fight to show their mother and father that they could make it on their own two feet, it never came to fruition. Their parents died, and Slade and Jagger had independence thrust upon, not rightfully won but given without the understanding between parent and child. Their frustration turned on Chazz, and it has stayed there ever since. Chazz knows this; he also knows he will never follow in his brothers' path. He has found his understanding.)

3. Chazz's real name is Charles Frederick Princeton, after his grandfathers, and he'll be damned before he lets any of his friends find out.

(Friederich Cuyler and Charles Princeton, his maternal and paternal grandfathers, respectively. It isn't that Chazz dislikes his name. On the contrary, in certain circles he thinks it sounds very refined and important. It's just that at school, it sounds almost unbearably lame and he's just about ready to shrivel up into a humiliated husk when Lia finds out about it. She laughs and laughs, and laughs, and then he calls her a bitch, and points out that her first name is 'Ottilia', so she's got _no_ room to laugh, and they get into like they always do. Chazz has never had a sister, and his idea of family is pretty screwed up, but he thinks that what he has with Lia might be kinda like that; someone who knows all your buttons and pushes them because they can, someone who annoys the shit out of you because they find it funny, and someone who'll take a bullet without asking, because you're you and they're them. It's nothing like Atty and Lexi, but Chazz is a Princeton, and for him, Lia leaping across the table to tackle him is better family than his brothers.)

4. Chazz has never had a friend like Jaden; Chazz has never had a friend, period.

(Chazz is a loner, though not by nature. Zane is a loner because he's just fine being alone. Chazz is a loner because he's scared shitless of people. He's afraid of what will happen when they let him in. He acts like he's all that, but deep down, he's scared that he's nothing at all, just like Slade and Jagger tell him, and if that's true then who's gonna want to have anything to do with him? He's even scared of the Ojamas, because stupid and useless as they are, they're also loyal to a fault and love him more than Chazz is sure he deserves. He'd done nothing to merit that kind of devotion, and he's terrified that the moment he opens up, they'll see that he isn't worth it and leave him. It's what he believes everyone will do, eventually. Chazz locks everyone out because he's scared of letting them in, and then Jaden comes along and ruins that plan. Suddenly, the doors are blown off the hinges and the walls are shattered to nothing, and Jaden is hauling him, kicking and screaming, into the family he's always wanted and never thought he'd have.)

5. Maybe Chazz was never truly _in love_ with Alexis, but he loves her all the same.

(It's impossible not to love Alexis. She's got a temper, sure, and she jumps to conclusions and maybe she holds grudges, but for every one of her bad qualities, there are a hundred more good ones. She's kind and helpful and fiercely, viciously protective of the people she considers hers. When Alexis loves, she does so with everything she is, every inch of her soul and heart and mind. It's beautiful to see, but it's even more beautiful to receive, and when Chazz's memories come back and he realizes that Alexis dueled him because she wanted the old Chazz back, his heart stops beating. Maybe she'll never be in love with him, and maybe he was never actually in love with her, but she loves him enough to try and save him and it's more than anyone who isn't Jaden has ever given him.)

6. He's pretty sure he loves all of them, but he'll never tell them.

(Chazz knows he's got no real concept of family. Slade and Jagger are not winning any 'Brother of the Year' awards, that's for sure. For Chazz, family is about power, and more power, and earning love by getting power. He doesn't realize that love can be unconditional –that it's _supposed_ to be unconditional – until Jaden takes his hand, and Lia smacks him on the head, and Alexis smiles and Syrus smiles and Chumley laughs and a million warm candles come into being in the chambers of his heart. It's like seeing colour for the first time. Like feeling the heat of a fire. Like breathing, after holding his breath for so long. It's like he's opening his eyes for the very first time, and the world is new to him. He can never tell them, because he's a Princeton and he's had training and his brothers would've skinned him alive for thinking such pansy-ass crap. So he stays with them and duels for them and hopes to god that they can read the words in his actions. As he comes back from the Light of Destruction, he realizes that they can, and they've already said them back.)

7. One of the proudest moments of his life is when he wins the GX Tournament, because of the way the group smiles at him.

(He's proven himself, at long last. The Chazz of first year, the Chazz in the Abandoned Dorm, the half-mad, half-wild Chazz that once put his hands around Jaden's neck has been banished forever. Here he stands, victorious and deserving of his victory, and there is no one to bring him down. His brothers don't snidely congratulate him about furthering The Plan; Alexis pats him on the arm and Syrus beams up at him and even Hassleberry tell him he did a good job. Lia flicks his nose and says 'Alright, don't get a big head, jackass!', and Atticus writes a ballad on his ukulele that they all ignore. And Jaden smiles, really smiles, a deep, perfect, proud smile as he writes a letter to Chumley. Chazz lets a wriggle of satisfaction worm its way up to his heart and he relaxes on his Red Dorm bed, content with the world.)

8. One of the scariest moments of his life is when he thinks he's going to die with the Light inside of him.

(He remembers his failures, his weakness, his inability to do anything. He screams uselessly into the void, demanding his body back, demanding his mind back and when that fails, shouting until his throat bleeds – or it would, if he had a throat or blood to bleed- for the thing inside of him to leave his friends alone. Isolated in the blackest part of his mind, Chazz pounds his fists and falls to his knees and begs – _begs_- for the thing, the alien entity, to just stop hurting them, because they are all he has. The thing laughs, and pushes down harder, and Chazz screams until he has no screams left, his being slowly collapsing in on itself under the weight. What he fails to realize until later is that, inch by torturous inch, he managed to back the Light of Destruction into corner and Its retaliation was only a result of his unyielding heart.)

9. One of the happiest moments of his life is when Jaden tells him he is the pinnacle of human strength.

(Chazz has never been strong, not really. Not in the way Jaden is strong. Not in the way Atticus is strong. Not in the way _Syrus_ is strong. He can duel and he's got his spirits and he can kick the asses of the lowlifes who think that being in Red means there's no talent, but when the chips are down, he folds. Not because he wants to, but because even his best isn't enough. He tries so hard, and it amounts to nothing. He breaks, not bends, it cuts him to the bone. But here is Jaden, Jaden the Unconquerable, Jaden the Unbeatable, telling him he is strong. More than strong. He is the very face of human strength. And he scared the Light of Destruction by simply refusing to back down. He scared It just by being _him_. No one's ever given Chazz praise like that, and his eyes tear up before he can stop himself. He's strong. He's _strong_.)

10. Chazz hasn't decided what his defining moment is yet; he's still waiting for something truly _epic_ to happen.

(It's in the air and all around them. This was just a taster. Something bad it coming and when it hits, it'll fall to them to make it right again. It always falls to them. Chazz has come to realize that he's been sucked into the middle of a group that's gonna be the first and last line of defense against the end of the world. Armageddon looms on the horizon, and Chazz looks all around him to see storm clouds and howling winds. He's at the eye, he realizes, of a storm so massive it threatens to engulf the world. And whatever happens there, whatever happens in the eye...that's where he'll define himself. That's where his moment will truly come, and he will walk away, win or lose, knowing exactly who he is.)

11. There isn't a moment at Duel Academy Chazz would trade for the world.

(Because it's home. The thread count on the sheets might be far below what he's used to and the food might be bland and boring and he likes to act like he hates his friends, but the truth is, it's the only home he wants or needs. It's where his family is, where his strength was born, where he found the start of his path. It's where he finally found a person to be that he actually _likes_, and a person that was shaped by no dreams but his own. Whatever future awaits him, Chazz wants to burn every moment at Duel Academy into his memory forever, because to him, it's nothing short of happiness.)

* * *

Ulrike is a German/Russian name that means 'noble ruler' or 'ruler of all'. That's Chazz's mom.

Darc comes from 'Darcy', meaning 'dark', and is a reference to Chazz's dad having dark hair and eyes.

Friederich means 'peaceful ruler' and Cuyler is a Germanic name meaning 'wild boar' and is usually given to a powerful man.

Charles means 'full-grown' or 'manly'.

Say it with me now: _Charles. Frederick. Princeton._ Chazz itself is not a real name, at least not to me. But it _is_ a diminutive form of Charles, as far as I can tell. So far we have Minna Abigail Bedau and Charles Frederick Princeton. God, that's way too fun to say.

Chazz: I do _not _appreciate this!

Hey, I gave you awesomeness this Year. Let me have this, damnit!

Chazz: You only did that because I'm one of Agent Malkere's favourite characters.

And also, you're a good underdog. Jaden isn't an underdog. People _think_ he is, because he's a Slifer, but he's really not.

Chazz: No, he's friggin'unstoppable, and it's annoying.

He's the best friend you've ever had, and you know it.

Chazz: I disaree.

You can't. It's written up there.

Chazz: _You_ wrote that!

Details.

MoS


	71. Extra 7: Facebook France Part 1

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_ or _Facebook_. And since I'm not really on Facebook as much as I could be, I used the style from one of my favouite fanfics, 'Correspondence' by crackberries as a reference point. It's a PrusCan _Hetalia_ fic, and it is awesome beyond words. Go check it out. Like, now. And if you don't know what _Hetalia_ is -which I don't own either, by the way - then I can't talk to you until you've Googled it. I don't own _Google_ either - god_damnit_ I need to stop mentioning things!

Edit: Sorry, dinner ran long again.

* * *

**Year Two Extra 7: Facebook France Part 1**

* * *

_A laptop is turned on._

* * *

**Alexis Rhodes**

**Alexis Rhodes** is officially in France

Like · Comment · 3 hours ago ·

**Mindy Bedau**, **Jasmine Makita** and **7 others** like this.

**Lia Shanner**

**Lia Shanner **has officially welcomed **Alexis Rhodes** into her country.

Like · Comment · 3 hours ago ·

**Magda Shanner **likes this.

**Mindy Bedau**

Why are you guys announcing it like you're different people?

Like · Comment · 2 hours ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

Why do we do anything? Because we can. Also, my country, my rules. Bow down before me!

Like · Comment · 2 hours ago ·

**Juudai Yuki **and **Atticus Rhodes **like this.

**Juudai Yuki**

She has a point, Min-chan. If you try to bring logic into it, then really, everything we've ever done just falls apart.

Like · Comment 2 hours ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

OMG am I tired That flight took FOREVER

Like · Comment · 2 hours ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

Welcome to my world. And incidentally, my room. No, no, it's fine. Just make yourself comfortable on MY bed. It's not like we set up the GOOD air mattress for you just half a meter to your right.

Like · Comment · 2 hours ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes** and **Jasmine Makita **like this.

**Atticus Rhodes**

once Lexi lays down to sleep, she's a goner good luck getting her up

Like · Comment · 2 hours ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

**Alexis Rhodes** is on MY bed and refusing to wake up. I may have to resort to drastic measures.

Like · Comment · 1 hour ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes**

drastic how?

Like · Comment · 1 hour ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

I flipped her outta the bed.

Like · Comment · 15 minutes ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes**

how?

Like · Comment · 14 minutes ago ·

**Juudai Yuki**, **Chazz Princeton** and **3 others** like this.

**Syrus Trusedale**

Aren't you smaller than Lexi?

Like · Comment ·14 minutes ago ·

**Lia Shanner** posted a picture.

Like · Comment · 13 minutes ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes** likes this.

**Lia Shanner **tagged **Alexis Rhodes** in a picture.

**Juudai Yuki**

That looks like it hurt, Lexi.

Like · Comment · 12 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

It did

Like · Comment · 12 minutes ago ·

**Juudai Yuki**

How the hell did that happen? I mean, Lia's TINY.

Like · Comment · 11 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

She got her cousins to do it

Like · Comment · 11 minutes ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes**

cousins?

Like · Comment · 11 minutes ago ·

**Lia Shanner** posted a picture.

Like · Comment · 10 minutes ago ·

**Lia Shanner **tagged **Magda Shanner** and **Leal Duressuscité **in a picture.

**Syrus Trusedale**

Wasn't she at your house at christmas?

Like · Comment · 8 minutes ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

That's Maggie. She always comes with us. She's just got an in with the family even though she's from Dad's side.

Like · Comment · 8 minutes ago ·

**Leal Duressuscité** and **Magda Shanner** like this.

**Magda Shanner**

My charm and wit speak for themselves, Li'l Lia.

Like · Comment · 7 minutes ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

No, please. Put that embarrassing nickname out on the Internet. I don't mind.

Like · Comment · 7 minutes ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes**, **Juudai Yuki** and **3 others** like this.

**Juudai Yuki**

Don't mind what, Koneko-chan?

Like · Comment · 6 minutes ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes**

yeah kitten whats go you all worked up?

Like · Comment · 6 minutes ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

I will murder you both in your sleep.

Like · Comment · 5 minutes ago ·

**Chazz Princeton** likes this.

**Alexis Rhodes**

Well I have to finish unpacking but first I get to go downstairs and have my first taste of French cuisine

Like · Comment · 3 minutes ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

Five bucks says you fall asleep before you finish unpacking.

Like · Comment · 3minutes ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes** likes this.

**Alexis Rhodes**

You're on

Like · Comment · 3 minutes ago ·

**Mindy Bedau**

Why are you guys using Facebook? Aren't you in the same room?

Like · Comment · 2 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

Actually Lia is hiding on the roof

Like · Comment · 1 minute ago ·

**Jasmine Makita**, **Chazz Princeton** and **4 others** like this.

**Chazz Princeton**

Hah! Tell me there are pictures.

Like · Comment · 1 minutes ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

It's called a strategic withdrawal. And I can get down from here anytime I want.

Like · Comment · 30 seconds ago ·

**Magda Shanner **posted a picture.

Like · Comment · 25 seconds ago ·

**Magda Shanner** tagged **Lia Shanner** in a picture.

**Magda Shanner**

Behold the roof-dwelling Ottilia in her natural habitat!

Like · Comment · 15 seconds ago ·

**Chazz Princeton**, **Atticus Rhodes** and **7 others** like this.

**Lia Shanner**

I will 'death-from-above' you in a heartbeat.

Like · Comment · A few seconds ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

I think I'm gonna like it here

Like · Comment · A few seconds ago ·

**Leal Duressuscité** and **Magda Shanner** like this.

* * *

_The screen turns off._

* * *

_Fingers drum as they wait for the screen to load._

* * *

**Lia Shanner**

**Alexis Rhodes **owes **Lia Shanner** five bucks :D!

Like · Comment · 11 hours ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

Did you have to gloat about it on the internet?

Like · Comment · 11 hours ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

Yes.

Like · Comment · 6 hours ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes** and **Syrus Trusedale **like this.

**Atticus Rhodes**

she fell asleep?

Like · Comment · 11 hours ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

Out like a light.

Like · Comment · 11 hours ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes**

did she snore?

Like · Comment · 11hours ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

You mean like you do?

Like · Comment · 11 hours ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes**

i will have you know that any sounds i make during sleep are adorable and endearing if not sensual

Like · Comment · 11 hours ago ·

**Magda Shanner **likes this.

**Lia Shanner**

How is he so articulate yet so unable to grasp basic concepts like punctuation and capitalization? And Maggie, stop creeping on my friends.

Like · Comment · 11 hours ago ·

**Chazz Princeton**

We can't all try and sound like we're giving our dissertation all the time.

Like · Comment · 11 hours ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

Why Chazz, was that a COMPLIMENT?

Like · Comment · 11 hours ago ·

**Chazz Princeton**

No, I was calling you a stuck-up bitch, but I was trying to be subtle, which was clearly lost on you.

Like · Comment · 11 hours ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

Fuck you Chazz.

Like · Comment · 11 hours ago ·

**Chazz Princeton**

Not for all the money in the world, sweetheart.

Like · Comment · 11 hours ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

Don't call me sweetheart.

Like · Comment · 11 hours ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes** likes this.

**Syrus Trusedale**

How can they actually get into it over the INTERNET?

Like · Comment · 11 hours ago ·

**Juudai Yuki**

I guess they're REALLY dedicated.

Like · Comment · 11 hours ago ·

**Lia Shanner** likes this.

**Alexis Rhodes**

If you two are done flirting can we go You said shopping

Like · Comment · 11 hours ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes** and **Juudai Yuki** like this.

**Chazz Princeton**

Lexi, don't insult me!

Like · Comment · 11 hours ago ·

**Syrus Trusedale**

Fuel to the fire, Lex.

Like · Comment · 11 hours ago ·

**Lia Shanner** posted a picture.

Like · Comment · 11 hours ago ·

**Chazz Princeton**, **Atticus Rhodes** and **2 others** like this.

**Lia Shanner **tagged **Alexis Rhodes** in a picture.

**Juudai Yuki**

I think this is what they call 'sleep cute'.

Like · Comment · 11 hours ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

That was cheap Lia

Like · Comment · 11 hours ·

**Lia Shanner**

We're going shopping now. Bye guys!

Like · Comment · 11 hours ago ·

**Leal Duressuscité**

I think you look adorable, Miss Rhodes.

Like · Comment · 11 hours ago ·

**Chazz Princeton**

Who are YOU?

Like · Comment · 11 hours ago ·

**Syrus Trusedale**

Jeez, Chazz, I can see the steam from here.

Like · Comment · 11 hour ago ·

**Juudai Yuki **likes this.

**Chazz Princeton**

Who asked you, midget?

Like · Comment · 10 hours ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

I am never leaving

Like · Comment · 1 hour ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes**

what?

Like · Comment · 1 hour ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

Never leaving I am staying forever

Like · Comment · 1 hour ago ·

**Lia Shanner**, **Magda Shanner** and **2 others** like this.

**Lia Shanner**

I took her to Lafayette, and then to the Opera House and around a bit. It kinda turned into a sight-seeing trip.

Like · Comment · 1 hour ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

The FOOOOOOOD

Like · Comment · 1 hour ago ·

**Juudai Yuki**

Food?

Like · Comment · 1 hour ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

OMG Jaden the food here is awesome and they have crepe stands EVERYWHERE and the restaurants are great and every stereotype about French people knowing their food is so so so right

Like · Comment · 1 hour ago ·

**Lia Shanner** and **Leal Duressuscité** like this.

**Lia Shanner**

So yeah, Lexi's just gonna live in my room and mooch off of me until she can find her own lodgings.

Like · Comment · 1 hour ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes**

did you just brainwash my sister?

Like · Comment · 1 hour ago ·

**Syrus Trusedale** likes this.

**Lia Shanner**

No, the French food did.

Like · Comment · 1 hour ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes** posted a picture.

Like · Comment · 10 minutes ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes** likes this.

**Alexis Rhodes **tagged** Lia Shanner **in a picture.

**Juudai Yuki**

Holy crap!

Like · Comment · 10 minutes ago ·

**Syrus Trusedale**

Just what kind of stores did you guys go into?

Like · Comment · 10 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

This would be the lingerie section of Lafayette

Like · Comment · 9 minutes ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes**

did my birthday come early or something?

Like · Comment · 9 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

And those are the stockings I made her try on

Like · Comment · 9 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

Screw off you pervert

Like · Comment · 8 minutes ago ·

**Syrus Trusedale**

Well, I won't be able to look at Lia for a month, thanks for that.

Like · Comment · 8 minutes ago ·

**Chazz Princeton** likes this.

**Lia Shanner**

LEXI!

Like · Comment · 7 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

REVENGE!

Like · Comment · 7 minutes ago ·

**Juudai Yuki**, **Syrus Trusedale** and **5 others **like this.

* * *

_The computer sits, abandoned._

* * *

_Fingers fly over the keyboard, typing._

* * *

**Alexis Rhodes**

The sun is shining the birds are singing and Lia is on the roof again

Like · Comment · 15 minutes ago ·

**Chazz Princeton **likes this.

**Juudai Yuki**

Why?

Like · Comment · 15 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

Bridesmaid dress

Like · Comment · 15 minutes ago ·

**Juudai Yuki**

Is it bad?

Like · Comment · 15 minutes · ago ·

**Chazz Princeton **likes this.

**Alexis Rhodes**

Oh no the dress is great but her step-sister said something really mean

Like · Comment · 15 minutes ago ·

**Juudai Yuki**

How come?

Like · Comment · 15 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

Dunno maybe she's just mean but Lia's on the roof again and she won't come down

Like · Comment · 15 minutes ·

**Magda Shanner **posted a picture.

Like · Comment · 12 minutes ago ·

**Magda Shanner **tagged **Lia Shanner **and **Leal Duressuscité** in a picture.

**Magda Shanner**

Hurry up and tell this girl she's beautiful!

Like · Comment · 10 minutes ago ·

**Juudai Yuki**

Koneko-chan is very pretty. Fuyubi-chan and Akimi-chan and Natsuki-chan all agree.

Like · Comment · 9 minutes ago ·

**Magda Shanner **and **Leal Duressuscité** like this.

**Syrus Trusedale**

You're super pretty Lia! You're amazingly pretty!

Like · Comment · 9 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**, **Magda Shanner** and **9 others** like this.

**Mindy Bedau**

You'll look amazing in anything. You've got that kind of complexion. You can't look bad, I guarantee it.

Like · Comment · 9 minutes ago ·

**Magda Shanner **likes this.

**Jasmine Makita**

You want me to mess this bitch who lied to you up?

Like · Comment · 7 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**, **Juudai Yuki** and **9 others **like this.

**Abeni Hasib**

I'll help!

Like · Comment · 7minutes ago ·

**Syrus Trusedale** likes this.

**Chazz Princeton**

Shanner, what the hell are you doing letting some bitch run you down? That's MY job! Get your sorry ass off that roof and shut the bitch up! If she mouths off to you then you make her put her money where her mouth is! You're not much to look at but you don't have to TAKE that kind of shit!

Like · Comment · 5 minutes ago ·

**Syrus Trusedale**

She takes it from you.

Like · Comment · 4 minutes ago ·

**Chazz Princeton**

Like hell she does! Besides, I'm SPECIAL.

Like · Comment · 4 minutes ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes** likes this.

* * *

_The mouse finds the Start menu, and clicks it._

* * *

_The Power button is pressed._

* * *

**Lia Shanner **and **Aster Phoenix** are now friends.

**Atticus Rhodes**

WHAT?

Like · Comment · 5 minutes ago ·

**Mindy Bedau **and **Jasmine Makita** like this.

* * *

I was kinda worried about this, because has this rule against posting chapters that are totally 'chat-logs', but I don't know what their stance is on Facebook, so I just broke it up with the italics. And I think Atticus would have terrible grammar on Facebook. He can't remember to capitalize 'I', but he occasionally puts capitals on people's names. What. Alexis is better, but fuck punctuation. Fuck it!

And I know there are some people missing. They'll show up now and again. And Jessica is currently somewhere where there is no Internet...I'm thinking she's spending the summer lumberjacking or planting tree like, waaay up in British Columbia. And Miriam is busy skinning her brother alive for giving her music box to a girl he likes. That's my story as to why they're not here and I'm sticking to it! It has nothing to do with me not coming up with last names for them!

There is a Part 2, which is coming later.

Also, I like to picture Lia all hunched up on the roof with a bag of trail mix, nibbling away her snack like a squirrel.

MoS


	72. Extra 8: Paint Job

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two Extra 8: Paint Job**

* * *

" Why are you all here again?"

" Because you need the help and we're available."

" _Jaden's_ here because you need the help and we're available. _I'm_ here because I'm not sure I trust you with all this paint, and I _know_ I don't trust Jaden. ...And we're available."

" Sy!"

" Jay, do I really hafta bring up what happened in Bastian's room last year?"

" I'm scared to ask but...what happened in the know-it-all's room last year."

" There may have...been an...'incident', if you will...involving several buckets of paint."

" ...My first instinct right, I didn't want to know."

" Oh c'mon, Chazz nothing'll happen."

" Somehow, I don't believe you."

" Yeah, well, too bad, 'cause you're stuck with us. Now move."

" Midget, don't you dare-"

" Aniki and help me move some stuff."

" Kay!"

" O-Oi, Slackers! I didn't invite you in!"

" It's okay Chazz. We invited ourselves in."

" What Sy said."

" Scram!"

" No way, no how. We're gonna help you."

" Damnit Jaden this is my mess so I'll-"

" Chazz, give it up. We're helping you whether you like it or not. So grab a brush and get working."

" ..."

" Wow Jay, you actually got him to shut up."

" Cram it you midget."

" Well, that didn't last long."

" You say something Shorty?"

" Not a word, Chazz. Aniki, pull that chair outside."

" On it."

" ...You two had better not expect any kind of compensation for this."

" Lia may come 'round with cookies later."

" Great. Just what I need. You, the idiot and the bitch all in one place."

" You love us and you know it."

" Don't push me midget."

* * *

" Oh god!"

" Aniki, don't fall!"

" I swear to god Slacker, if there is paint in my hair or on my jacket, I will _end_ you!"

" What do you care Chazz? You like, never wash that jacket."

" That's because it's so dark that it doesn't show the dirt. It's like I always say: 'If it doesn't hide the dirt, then I don't want it over my shirt.'"

" ...When have you ever said that before?"

" Shut up and get Yuki down before he breaks his neck!"

* * *

" This is gonna end in disaster, isn't it?"

" Chazz, it's us."

" So disaster and property damage."

" Chazz, it's _us_."

" I know, Shrimp, that's why I'm saying-"

" No, I mean it's me and Jaden, not all of us, so property damage is less of a probability."

" Yeah, because Jaden isn't destructive _at all_."

" That tree came outta nowhere!"

" And that's why we can't have nice things. Well, I can, I just can't lend them to you guys."

" Chazz, you wouldn't let them to us anyway."

" True."

* * *

" So remind me again. Whose brilliant idea was it to send me up on the ladder again?"

" Uh, I don't actually know."

" Probably mine."

" Um, Chazz? Did you just forget the bad things that happened the _last_ time I was on this ladder?"

" I don't see how, it was only half an hour ago."

"Oh I didn't forget."

" Then why are you inviting more paint splatters by sending me up here again?"

" The joy I get outweighs the frustration of paint splatters."

" Joy?"

" What can I say? Jaden in pain is always worth a good laugh."

" ...Chazz, you're a sadist."

" You're just now noticing?"

* * *

" There is no way we can reach that part. How the hell did you reach it Chazz?"

" Um...I think I climbed up onto a rafter."

" ...So what's Plan B?"

" Well, Midget, Jaden can stand up on the top of that ladder and-"

" Oh _hell_ no!"

* * *

" I don't see why you two are so insistent on helping."

" Why wouldn't we be?"

" This is my mess. I'll clean it up."

" We have the time Chazz, and we don't mind."

" Where'd the Shrimp get to, now that you mention it."

" Oh, he got a text from Lia telling him to come get the cookies. Apparently, she refuses to be in the same room with you. You guys fight?"

" ..."

" I choose to take that grin as a yes."

" Whatever."

" Look Chazz. We're here. We're helping. Get used to it."

" I'm just saying I coulda handled it just fine on my own Slacker."

" But you're not on your own. You have us, and we're going to help you. No matter how small the problem. Even if it's just repainting your room to get rid of the white."

" ...You _sap_."

* * *

" So you and that Ra chick, huh?"

" Hmm?"

" That girl that scared you into a date."

" Oh, right, Ben. Yeah. Me an' Ben. Ben an' me. Yup."

" You can't believe it, can you?"

" A girl likes me Chazz! I mean, she really likes me! And I really like her!"

" You sound so surprised."

" I just...she's this beautiful girl and she likes _me_."

" I know. I can hardly believe it too. But hey, you've manned up a bit since last year. Maybe you're not a hopeless case after all."

" Gee, thanks Chazz."

" Hey, you're doing better than the Slacker. He wouldn't know a date if it bit him in the ass."

" Jaden just...isn't interested in dates. Not right now, anyway."

" Thank god. I do _not_ want to see him all love-struck. It's bad enough watching him _fawn_ all over his cards. You'd think he was card-sexual. Or maybe he's just ignorant."

" No, definitely not. Not after last year."

" What? Oh right. I forgot you and the bitch made him watch that shit. How'd that go, by the way?"

" What happened in that room stays in that room."

" That bad, huh?"

" Yeah, _that bad_."

" ..."

" ..."

" Congrats."

" Thanks Chazz."

* * *

" There we go."

" That looks terrible."

" Thank for your negativity Chazz. It's appreciated."

" Cram it, Slacker."

" I'd rather not."

" I'd rather you did."

" Well, I don't want to."

" Too bad."

" Okay, that's great guys. You two just have a paint fight. I'm gonna sit here and eat my cookie."

" ..."

" ..."

" Chazz. Jaden."

" What, Midget?"

" Yeah Sy?"

" You just dumped paint on me."

" No shit Sherlock."

" Yes I did."

" ..."

" ..."

" ..."

" You realize, of course, that _this_ means _war_!"

* * *

" All in all, a job well done."

" Speak for yourself Slacker. I knew I shoulda hired professionals."

" This was more fun, right Sy?"

" We're covered in paint, the bed's the same, and we missed several spots."

" So this was more fun?"

" Way more."

" You two are dumbasses."

" Yeah, but Chazz?"

" What, Slacker?"

" You're _smiling_."

* * *

Just the boys repainting the room Chazz painted white, and bonding over it.

MoS


	73. Extra 9: Facebok France Part 2

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_ or _Facebook_

* * *

**Year Two Extra 9: Facebook France Part 2**

* * *

_The screen of a laptop lights up._

* * *

**Atticus Rhodes**

i cant believe she friended him

Like · Comment · 7 hours ago ·

**Syrus Trusedale**

Why not?

Like · Comment ·7 hours ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes**

its ASTER PHOENIX!

Like · Comment · 7 hours ago ·

**Syrus Trusedale**

Yeah, and they actually get along really well. Why wouldn't they be friends?

Like · Comment · 7 hours ago ·

**Jasmine Makita** and **Mindy Bedau** like this.

**Chazz Princeton**

No, I'm with Atticus. What does Phoenix SEE in her?

Like · Comment · 7 hours ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

Well for one thing, I'm a damn good conversationalist. That's where you actually TALK to people Chazz.

Like · Comment · 7 hours ago ·

**Aster Phoenix**, **Alexis Rhodes** and **3 others **like this.

**Chazz Princeton**

I TALK to people, Shanner. Just because YOUR voice makes my ears bleed doesn't mean everybody's does.

Like · Comment · 7 hours ago ·

**Syrus Trusedale**

Break it up, you two.

Like · Comment · 7 hours ago ·

**Chazz Princeton**

She's not even worth it.

Like · Comment · 7 hours ago ·

**Aster Phoenix**

why do you put up with him?

Like · Comment · 7 hours ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

I don't actually know. I think Jaden tricked me somehow.

Like · Comment · 7 hours ago ·

**Syrus Trusedale** and **Atticus Rhodes** like this.

**Juudai Yuki**

I did no such thing!

Like · Comment · 6 hours ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

Late to the party there Jay

Like · Comment · 6 hours ago ·

**Lia Shanner** likes this.

**Atticus Rhodes**

and where have YOU been?

Like · Comment · 6 hours ago ·

**Leal Duressuscité** posted a picture.

Like · Comment · 6 hours ago ·

**Leal Duressuscité** tagged **Alexis Rhodes** in a picture.

**Atticus Rhodes**

oh COME ON! you get to go to france AND hang out with hot guys? i feel gipped!

Like · Comment · 6 hours ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

Because Santa likes me best

Like · Comment · 6 hours ago ·

**Lia Shanner**, **Juudai Yuki** and **7 others **like this.

**Lia Shanner**

Leal, ne touchez pas.

Like · Comment · 6 hours ago ·

**Leal Duressuscité**

Why do I get the feeling that you do not trust me?

Like · Comment · 6 hours ago ·

**Magda Shanner **likes this.

**Lia Shanner**

Because I don't.

Like · Comment · 6 hours ago ·

**Magda Shanner**

Because she knows you.

Like · Comment · 6 hours ago ·

**Juudai Yuki** and **Jasmine Makita** like this.

**Jasmine Makita**

Aren't you guys in the same house?

Like · Comment · 6 hours ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

I'VE been forced to stay at the Vinecrasé residence all weekend. So I entrusted Lexi to Leal and Maggie.

Like · Comment · 6 hours ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

Atty, I apologize in advance for your sister's loss of innocence.

Like · Comment · 6 hours ago ·

**Jasmine Makita **likes this.

**Chazz Princeton**

If ANYTHING happens to her...

Like · Comment · 4 hours ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

I think I would notice.

Like · Comment · 4 hours ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes** and **Lia Shanner** like this.

**Alexis Rhodes**

And that took 2 hours to register for you? Wow Chazz

Like · Comment · 4 hours ago ·

**Lia Shanner** likes this.

**Jasmine Makita**

No, it's just that Min and I have had him on the phone like, all day.

Like · Comment · 4 hours ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

...WHY?

Like · Comment · 4 hours ago ·

**Mindy Bedau**

If he's on the phone with us, his brothers will leave him alone!

Like · Comment · 4 hour ago ·

**Syrus Trusedale**

Say the word Chazz, and there's an empty room at my place.

Like · Comment · 3 hours ago ·

**Juudai Yuki** likes this.

**Chazz Princeton**

I'm a bit of a drive away, midget.

Like · Comment · 3 hours ago ·

**Syrus Trusedale**

I can drive.

Like · Comment · 3 hours ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes**, **Juudai Yuki** and **9 others** like this.

**Aster Phoenix**

well, this took a dramatic turn somewhere

Like · Comment · 3 hours ago ·

**Aster Phoenix**

I'm heading to bed got a duel in the morning

Like · Comment · 3 hours ago ·

**Juudai Yuki** likes this.

**Jasmine Makita**

Good luck.

Like · Comment · 3 hours ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

Don't screw up.

Like · Comment · 3 hours ago ·

**Aster Phoenix**

your faith in me is overwhelming

Like · Comment · 3 hours ago ·

**Jasmine Makita**

So are you going out with him or what?

Like · Comment · 1 hour ago ·

**Mindy Bedau **and **Alexis Rhodes** like this.

**Lia Shanner**

I'm not going to dignify that with a response.

Like · Comment · 30 minutes ago ·

**Magda Shanner**

Translation: No, but only because I can't admit that I'm crazy about him

Like · Comment · 10 minutes ago ·

**Mindy Bedau**, **Jasmine Makita** and **3 others** like this.

* * *

_A chair scraps as it pulls out; the screen is empty._

* * *

_The mouse plays across the screen._

* * *

**Alexis Rhodes** posted a picture.

Like · Comment · 20 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes **tagged **Lia Shanner** and **Leal Duressuscité** in a picture.

**Alexis Rhodes**

Eiffel Tower baby!

Like · Comment · 20 minutes ago ·

**Juudai Yuki**

Looks like fun.

Like · Comment · 19 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

All of the fun!

Like · Comment · 19 minutes ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

And now she's all buzzed from the cookies at the internet cafe we went to.

Like · Comment · 18 minutes ago ·

**Juudai Yuki** and **Syrus Trusedale **like this.

**Atticus Rhodes**

found any sexy french men yet?

Like · Comment · 17 minutes ago ·

**Jasmine Makita **likes this.

**Alexis Rhodes**

That's private Atty

Like · Comment · 17 minutes ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

Please, you don't look away from my cousin long enough to SEE other guys.

Like · Comment · 17 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes** posted a picture.

Like · Comment · 11 minutes ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes**, **Aster Phoenix** and **2 others** like this.

**Alexis Rhodes **tagged **Lia Shanner** in a picture.

**Juudai Yuki**

She is going to KILL you.

Like · Comment · 10 minutes ago ·

**Chazz Princeton**

Oh yeah, because that's what I want to see when I check for updates- half-naked Shanner.

Like · Comment · 10 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

They're called PAJAMAS, Chazz

Like · Comment · 9 minutes ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes**

chill out chazz its just a camisole and some shorts i was hoping for something a little lacier...

Like · Comment · 8 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

Do you WANT me to murder you when I get back?

Like · Comment · 7 minutes ago ·

**Aster Phoenix **likes this.

**Aster Phoenix**

let me guess and then you guys had a pillow fight

Like · Comment · 6 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

Nope we got drunk

Like · Comment · 5 minutes ago ·

**Lia Shanner**posted a picture.

Like · Comment · 2 minutes ago ·

**Lia Shanner **tagged **Alexis Rhodes** in a picture.

**Lia Shanner**

The mating call of the Drunken Western Canadian Alexis!

Like · Comment · 1 minute ago ·

**Juudai Yuki**

Now SHE'S going to kill YOU.

Like · Comment · A few seconds ago ·

**Chazz Princeton **likes this.

* * *

_The laptop is left alone in favour of a chase._

* * *

_In the kitchen, a figure sits at the table, computer on her knees._

* * *

**Magda Shanner**

Lia, get off the roof.

Like · Comment · 1 hour ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

Lia get off the roof

Like · Comment · 1 hour ago ·

**Magda Shanner**

Lia, get off the roof.

Like · Comment · 1 hour ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

Lia get off the roof

Like · Comment · 1 hour ago ·

**Magda Shanner**

I'll come up there.

Like · Comment · 1 hour ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

I'LL come up there

Like · Comment · 1 hour ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

That was not a hint to retreat higher!

Like · Comment · 55 minutes ago ·

**Chazz Princeton** likes this.

**Juudai Yuki**

Koneko-chan's on the roof again?

Like · Comment · 54 minutes ago ·

**Chazz Princeton**

What, is she building a nest up there or something?

Like · Comment · 54 minutes ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes**, **Jasmine Makita** and **2 others** like this.

**Aster Phoenix**

leave her alone, dumbass she's just dealing with some stuff

Like · Comment · 52 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

Stuff?

Like · Comment · 52 minutes ago ·

**Aster Phoenix**

if she wanted you to know she'd tell you

Like · Comment · 52 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

Lia tells me everything

Like · Comment · 52 minutes ago ·

**Aster Phoenix**

obviously not

Like · Comment · 51 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

You're asking for a fist to the face when school starts up again

Like · Comment · 49 minutes ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes **likes this.

**Aster Phoenix**

I'm shaking in my boots

Like · Comment · 49 minutes ago ·

**Syrus Trusedale**

Aster, don't you have better things to do than hang around Facebook all day?

Like · Comment · 47 minutes ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes **likes this.

**Aster Phoenix**

that's true

Like · Comment · 47 minutes ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes **likes this.

**Alexis Rhodes**

Syyyyy! I was winning!

Like · Comment · 46 minutes ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes**

didnt look like it to me sissy

Like · Comment · 45 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes **

You stay out of this!

Like · Comment · 45 minutes ago ·

**Tyranno Hassleberry**

I go away for a few weeks and you guys try to kill each other WTH

Like · Comment · 45 minutes ago ·

**Syrus Trusedale **and **Mindy Bedau **like this.

**Chazz Princeton**

Where the hell have YOU been, Dingleberry?

Like · Comment · 44 minutes ago ·

**Tyranno Hassleberry**

On vacation

Like · Comment · 43 minutes ago ·

**Magda Shanner**

Okay, she's babbling away on her cellphone and I can't get her attention. Alexis, your turn.

Like · Comment · 40 minutes ago ·

**Juudai Yuki**

Must be some pretty interesting 'stuff'.

Like · Comment · 40 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

Wish me luck

Like · Comment · 40 minutes ago ·

**Mindy Bedau**

Good luck.

Like · Comment · 40 minutes ago ·

**Jasmine Makita **

Luck.

Like · Comment · 40 minutes ago ·

**Chazz Princeton**

Let her rot.

Like · Comment · 39 minutes ago ·

**Syrus Trusedale**

Ignore Chazz.

Like · Comment · 39 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes **likes this.

**Alexis Rhodes**

Back

Like · Comment · 33 minutes ago ·

**Juudai Yuki**

That was fast.

Like · Comment · 33 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

She wouldn't get off the phone I don't think she even saw me

Like · Comment · 33 minutes ago ·

**Jasmine Makita**

Who was she one the phone with?

Like · Comment · 32 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

Hang on

Like · Comment · 32 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

Hey Aster

Like · Comment · 32 minutes ago ·

**Aster Phoenix**

what?

Like · Comment · 26 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

Tell Lia to get off the phone and get inside

Like · Comment · 26 minutes ago ·

**Jasmine Makita**, **Mindy Bedau** and **3 others** like this.

**Jasmine Makita**

OMG WHAT?

Like · Comment · 25 minutes ago ·

**Mindy Bedau**

That's so cute!

Like · Comment · 25 minutes ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes**

phoenix you stay away from her!

Like · Comment · 25 minutes ago ·

**Tyranno Hassleberry**

I am so confused

Like · Comment · 24 minutes ago ·

**Chazz Princeton**

Well, it IS your natural state.

Like · Comment · 24 minutes ago ·

**Syrus Trusedale**

Chazz, please don't start things over the INTERNET.

Like · Comment · 24 minutes ago ·

**Juudai Yuki **likes this.

**Jesse Anderson**

Okay, what? I just found this conversation and WHY is Lia on the ROOF?

Like · Comment · 24 minutes ago ·

**Chazz Princeton**

Who friended Hans over here?

Like · Comment · 22 minutes ago ·

**Juudai Yuki**

I did.

Like · Comment · 22 minutes ago ·

**Chazz Princeton**

Of course.

Like · Comment · 21 minutes ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

WFT did I say about Facebook stalking us?

Like · Comment · 15 minutes ago ·

* * *

_The figure leaves the laptop on the table._

* * *

_The computer displays a photo of a dozen people in fancy dresses and suits._

* * *

**Lia Shanner** posted a picture.

Like · Comment · 12 minutes ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes**, **Juudai Yuki** and **9 others** like this.

**Lia Shanner **tagged **Magda Shanner**, **Alexis Rhodes** and **5 others **in a picture.

**Alexis Rhodes **posted a picture.

Like · Comment · 12 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes **tagged **Lia Shanner**, **Magda Shanner** and **Leal Duressuscité** in a picture.

**Leal Duressuscité** posted a picture.

Like · Comment · 11 minutes ago ·

**Leal Duressuscité **tagged** Lia Shanner**, **Alexis Rhodes** and **7 others **in a picture.

**Magda Shanner**

Nice to know I count as '7 others', cuz.

Like · Comment · 10 minutes ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes**

a wedding i love weddings drinks all round

Like · Comment · 10 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes** and **Syrus Trusedale** like this.

**Alexis Rhodes**

You're all making me fat!

Like · Comment · 10 minutes ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

How?

Like · Comment · 9 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

Best. Wedding cake. EVER!

Like · Comment · 9 minutes ago ·

**Dulcé Duressuscité** likes this.

**Alexis Rhodes** posted a picture.

Like · Comment · 8 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes** tagged **Lia Shanner** in a picture.

**Atticus Rhodes**

you know most girls wouldnt post pictures of themselves stuffing their faces with cake on the internet

Like · Comment · 7 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

BEST. WEDDING CAKE. EVER!

Like · Comment · 7 minutes ago ·

**Magda Shanner**

Wedding cake provided by **Dulcé Duressuscité**, professional pâtissière.

Like · Comment · 6 minutes ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**

Lia adopt me please !

Like · Comment · 6 minutes ago ·

**Lia Shanner** likes this.

**Tyranno Hassleberry**

Do you just have cousins in every field there is?

Like · Comment · 5 minutes ago ·

**Syrus Trusedale **and** Mindy Bedau **like this.

**Lia Shanner**

Not EVERY field...

Like · Comment · 5 minutes ago ·

**Atticus Rhodes** and **Alexis Rhodes** like this.

**Lia Shanner **posted a picture.

Like · Comment · 5 minutes ago ·

**Juudai Yuki**, **Aster Phoenix** and **12 others** like this.

**Lia Shanner **tagged **Beline Vinecrasé** and **Gauvin Vinecrasé** in a picture.

**Aster Phoenix**

see you didn't need to worry so much

Like · Comment · 3 minutes ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

Yeah, yeah. Just don't go saying I told you so.

Like · Comment · 3 minutes ago ·

**Aster Phoenix**

I told you so

Like · Comment · 3 minutes ago ·

**Chazz Princeton** likes this.

**Lia Shanner**

What did I just say?

Like · Comment · 3 minutes ago ·

**Aster Phoenix**

I was already typing and about to post when you said that

Like · Comment · 2 minutes ago ·

**Aster Phoenix**

hey Lia

Like · Comment · 1 minute ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

What?

Like · Comment · 15 seconds ago ·

**Aster Phoenix**

you look really beautiful

Like · Comment · 10 seconds ago ·

**Alexis Rhodes**, **Jasmine Makita** and **Mindy Bedau** like this.

* * *

_The figure is pulled away from the computer to dance._

* * *

_The screen blinks for a moment._

* * *

**Jasmine Makita**

She's totally into him.

Like · Comment · A few seconds ago ·

**Mindy Bedau**

Was there ever any doubt?

Like · Comment · A few seconds ago ·

**Lia Shanner**

BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!

Like · Comment · A few seconds ago ·

**Magda Shanner**

Translation: Abso-tively posi-lutely.

Like · Comment · A few seconds ago ·

**Aster Phoenix **likes this.

**Lia Shanner**

GET OFF FACEBOOK YOU PRICK!

Like · Comment · A few seconds ago ·

* * *

_The screen goes blank._

* * *

And so ends the tale of Alexis' adventure in France!

Magda is quoting Dodger from 'Oliver and Company', which I also don't own, there at the end. Just imagine Billy Joel saying that line.

So Lia has a step-dad, and three step-siblings: Estelle, Jacqueline, and Claude. Estelle is kinda a bitch. She's just at that age. Jackie is quiet, but didn't want her dad to get remarried (their mom is still alive, just divorced from Gauvin) and so kinda resents Beline and Lia for ruining her dream of her parents getting back together. Claude likes Lia, and thinks she's nicer than his other sisters. Estelle is 13 and a half, Jacqueline is 11, and Claude is 9 and three quarters and that last bit is very important to him.

And Maggie is there. Because Maggie is always there.

Dulce means 'sweet' in Spanish, so it seemed appropriate for a pastry chef. And Lia has cousins in a LOT of different fields.

Chazz is making a reference to 'Hans Christian Anderson', who I really think inspired Jesse's name.

And of _course_, Jaden friended Jesse. Of _course_ he did.

Jaden: _Fujoshi!_

Quiet you!

See you in an hour.

MoS


	74. Extra 10: Fanservice

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_

* * *

**Year Two Extra 10: Fanservice**

* * *

Lia blinked.

And then blinked again.

And then threw he hands over her mouth in an attempt to muffle a squeak of what was certainly not horror that tried to escape.

" Girl, what?" Jasmine asked, her eyes closed as she pressed a water bottle to her forehead. Little streams of water condensed on the outside of the plastic and streaked down the redhead's flushed face.

" Oh. My. _God_. " Alexis hissed from the side, raising her sunglasses to get a better look. Beside her, Lia let out another squeak, this time coloured with something the blonde assumed was agreement.

" Ain't nothing wrong with that." Jessica grinned appreciatively at the sight. " Whoo-yeah boys! Take it all off!"

" Do _not_ encourage them!" Alexis punched her fellow blonde in the arm as Atticus made to follow her request. Lia let out a third squeak, this one entirely embarrassed, and ducked her head down into her hands.

Atticus, naked from the waist up, and covered on the bottom only by a pair of artfully ribbed, washed out jeans that were raggedly cut off at the knee, sauntered over. Lia peeked at him through a gap in her fingers. The sun was hitting him at such an angle that his hair was turned to molten bronze and his skin shone tawny with the beginnings of a tan. The shadows rippled over his abdominal muscles with each step he took, and Lia felt her face fire up.

A well-muscled arm fell over her shoulders, and with a startled wail, the younger girl was hauled against an equally well-built chest. Her one hand shot out to push at the offender, but all it came into contact with was a hot, smooth surface that rose and fell under it.

" Be still my thundering heart." Atticus purred in her ear. Lia shrieked, and started hitting his chest in earnest. She felt the resulting laugh rumble through him. The arm around her tightened, and the French girl found herself with her nose being pressed into her friend's shoulder.

" You're blushing." The older boy said, rubbing his thumb in soothing circles on her shoulder. Lia glared at him out of a blazing red face.

" You're suffocating me."

Atticus put a finger under her chin and tilted her face up.

" Baby, if I wanted to steal your breath away, I could think of a few ways that would be _much_ more...enjoyable."

A cold rinse of water descended on them.

Sputtering, Lia managed to shove Atticus away from her, coughing. She fell into Mindy, who held the younger girl steady until the fit had passed. Atticus, his long brown locks dripping with water, glared sullenly up at his sister.

" What was that for, Sissy?"

" To cool you off." His sister's glare was as icy as his was sulky. She placed the now empty bottle onto the table beside her. " Don't molest my friends."

" She's my friend too."

" So? You still don't have the right to molest her." Alexis quirked a brow. " And put some clothes on for god's sakes."

" Like you can talk." Atticus said with a pout, pointing at his sister's bikini.

" He's got ya there, Lex." Jaden said with a grin as he jogged up. Alexis spared him a glance, then froze, and did a double take. Lia groaned.

" You too?"

Jaden blinked, and looked down.

" What?"

" Nothing, sweetheart." Jessica grinned knowingly at him.

" Nice abs, Jay." Jasmine teased. Jaden blinked again, and rubbed the back of his neck.

" My mom got on my ass this summer to get a little muscle going, and well..."

" It shows." Alexis said distractedly, eyeing the tanned strip of skin visible between the open sides of Jaden's unbuttoned red top.

" Le monde allait fou." Lia muttered to herself, pinching the bridge of her nose.

" Aw, Kitten, you know you like it."

" What are you so worked up for, Koneko-chan?" Jaden looked genuinely puzzled. Behind him Jesse managed to catch up, and lean on his friend's shoulder as he caught his breath.

" We have _got_ ta talk about this whole 'takin' off wheneva th' mood stahkes ya' thing. It ain't doin' much for me, Jay."

Jaden shrugged.

" I can't really control it. When the mood hits, I gotta run."

" Crazy." Jesse shook his head. " Ladies."

" Gonna sunbathe with us, Jess?" Mindy smiled brightly. " Or play tag with the boys?"

" We are executing complex dodge and attack patterns in an attempt to confuse our enemy and catch them off guard."

Jasmine snorted.

" Your ex-marine mother isn't here Jay. You don't have to stand at attention."

The boy in question flushed.

" And Jesse," The redhead smirked again. " You should totally come tanning with us. You're a little pale."

" He looks just fine to me." Jaden said with a roll of his eyes. Jesse grinned.

" Ya think?" He asked, looking a little too pleased at the prospect of Jaden's eyes on him. As Jasmine tuned them out and reached for more sun block, the sounds of Lia and Atticus arguing in rapid French reached in her a low hum. A soft hum sounded by Jasmine's feet, and she glanced up to see a large, green shape settle at the end of her deck chair.

" There ya go, sheila. Shirely 'ere'll be glad ta sunbathe wit' ya." Jim tilted his hat to her. Jasmine made a show of reaching over and patting the crocodile's head affectionately. Jim grinned at her, his one green twinkling.

" Hi Shirl." Mindy said, giving the reptile another pat on her tail. Shirley ran said appendage gently along Mindy's wrist in thanks. Jim gave his pet a hasty pat on the back.

" Now you stay roight 'ere wit' Jazz and Minnie. Ol' Jim's got 'imself a match t' win."

" In your dreams, Down Under." Atticus said, pulling out of his 'talk' with Lia. The younger brunette snarled at the blatant dismissal and made to throttle him. Jim quickly stepped in between the two, whipped off his hat, and placed it soundly on her head. Lia, to her eternal shame, squeaked again.

" Easy now, Kitty-Cat." She glared at him. " You'll work yourself inta a fluster and then th' 'eat'll get ya. Best just sit wit' these fine sheilas and simmer down, yeah?"

" I don't like you." Lia grumbled, and reached up to remove the hat. Jim put a hand on the top of her head, holding it in place.

" Nah, looks good on ya. 'old onta it for me."

" Si vous voulez." The girl huffed, but sat down cross-legged by Mindy. Jim nodded, and turned to the boys.

" So, 'ow we doing this, mates?"

Atticus' grin was just a little feral.

" You, me, Jess, and Jay each grab a water soaker. Me an' Jay versus you two foreigners. Last team with a member standing wins."

" Sounds good." Jesse said with a smile. He placed a hand on Jaden's shoulder. " See you on the battlefield."

" Good luck." Jaden grinned back, and patted the hand.

" Cheri, that's not how you do it. Un bisou pour la bonne chance!" Lia crowed, looking delighted. Alexis burst out laughing.

" Yeah, Jesse. Give Jay a kiss for luck. He'll need it."

" Fuck you." Jaden said, looking quite red. Atticus leaned on his young partner.

" Tell you what, Jay? You need a little luck so bad, I'll be happy to provide." He leaned in close to Jaden, who was so red he might've passed for a stop light. Jesse scowled.

" Quit teasin' him, Atty. It ain't funny."

" Oooh, la jalousie." Lia giggled.

Jim merely shook his head, and shrugged off his fringed black vest.

" What're you doing?" Mindy asked, as she looked over at him.

" One way or anotha, Minnie, 'm gettin' wet t'day. So, I figure it'd be best not ta waste a good shirt." He started undoing the buttons. " Ya follow me?"

" Ya-huh." Mindy said, a trifled dazed as Jim slipped the white top off of his shoulder.

' Oh, he's kinda shiny.' Her overloaded brain responded dazedly. Jim picked up one of the soakers sitting on the table and inspected it. ' Ooooh, flexing.' The sun through the trees made little spots of light dance over his smooth skin, the wire muscles of his arms gleaming slightly each time he turned the toy over. A single drop of sweat beaded in his exposed collarbone, and Mindy had to bite her lip as she traced its decent over the sloping planes and rounded, but still firm lines of Jim's chest. She quickly averted her eyes as the drop slid over his abdominal muscles and headed for the hem of his dark jeans.

" Ready ta lose, Wonder Boy?"

Atticus hefted his own soaker.

" Bring it on, Down Under." He tossed his still damp head in a nod to the girls. " Ladies."

" Moron." Alexis acknowledged.

" Put some clothes on." Lia said, not looking up from her book.

" And deprive the world of this?" He gestured suggestively to his bare torso. " Never."

Jasmine raised an eyebrow as the boys took their positions.

" Boys are so weird."

The sound of splashing and yelps filled the air.

" This is so stupid." Lia got up, and started picking her way around the girls. " I'm gonna go see what Aster's doing."

" Miss your boyfriend already?"

Lia's glare at Jasmine could've melted the polar ice caps in a matter of seconds.

" He. Is not. My boyfriend." The younger girl hissed poisonously. " However, he is likely to be dressed, and therefore, I am going to go and see him."

" You just keep telling yourself that." Jasmine called after her as Lia trembled and forced herself to leap over the heavily dozing Shirley. Behind her, Jessica gave a stretch, and watched Lia go. As the girl vanished from sight, the blonde turned her attention back to the four boys on the beach, each begin to gleam in the sun overhead as they were sprayed with water.

She reached for a soda in the cooler under the table, never taking her eyes off the view.

" Ain't nothing wrong with that."

* * *

I apologize for Jim's accent. I'm still not quite sure how to do it, and I'm trying some things out.

There's actually a story behind this snippet. A while ago - more than a year ago, in fact- a reviewer asked me if I would mind writing 'a little male fanservice', and so, I did. And that fan service was this. I never thought that I'd actually by able to use it in the storyline. But then Mizumaru Mari gave me the prompt 'Sexy and I Know It', which seemed to fit the mood here. Well, it fit _Atticus_, anyway.

So yes, half-naked teenage guys playing with water guns. God, I hope this doesn't make all of us who are out of our teens creepers...I was still a teenager when I wrote this, so maybe it's okay.

Yeah, that justifies it, right?

Le monde allait fou. - The world has gone mad.

Si vous voulez. - If you want.

Un bisou pour la bonne chance! - A kiss for good luck!

la jalousie - jealousy

MoS


	75. Extra 11: This is For You

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_. And Nightshade07 asked me to write an AtticusxJaden drabble, so I decided Akimi's 'Price' Take Two. And does anyone know what AtticusxJaden/FubukixJuudai is called? I've been reading the shipping list for a couple of hours (and my mind will never be the same again. Some things can't be unseen.), but I can't find it. Help a girl out, okay?

Edit: I have overcome the mountain! FubukixJuudai is called Zooshipping, and it is the **SECOND LAST SHIPPING NAME ON THE LIST! THE ONLY THING UNDER IT IS ZOUSHIPPING, WHICH IS HAOUXKENZAN (HASSLEBERRY) WHICH MAKES ABOUT AS MUCH SENSE AS ANYTHING ON THAT LIST! _BOW DOWN BEFORE SHE WHO CONQUERED THE YUGIOH GX SHIPPING_ _LIST!_**

Also, there's Yubelshipping: YubelxMartinxDark JohanxJuudaixHaou. That's YubelxMarcelxEvil JessexJadenxSupreme King. Whut.

* * *

**Year Two Extra 11: This One is For You**

* * *

Jaden angrily disconnects the calls and sets about grinding his teeth in irritation. All around him, his friends blink at the uncharacteristic display of temper.

" Bad news?" Syrus ventures at length. Jaden just growls. It's a little frightening, given that this is _Jaden Yuki_, he of the perpetual smiles. Then again, the memory of his sullen expression and silent moves in the duel with the Light make their way to the forefront of the minds of the Slacker Club, and Jaden's foul mood suddenly doesn't seem so out of character. Jaden's been on edge since that last duel, trying hard to be his usual goofy self only to fail when Atticus, Mindy, and Jasmine leave. For Alexis and the others, he allows himself to be true to his own heart.

He is as lost as they were. And he can't find his way any easier than the rest of them.

" What's wrong?" Alexis asks, brave as ever. Jaden's glare softens from furious to merely sullen under her undaunted gaze.

" Osa-Someone I know woke up." He says, hoping they didn't catch his slip-up. He knows they did, and thanks them for not pressing. He is also grateful that Atty is nowhere in sight, and Jazz and Mindy have a Duel Strategy exam at the moment.

" Woke up?" Lia plays with the buttons on her camera. At her side, Aster leans over to watch the pictures flit by on the small screen. Lia scowls at him, but doesn't move to shove him away. Jesse watches them from beside Jaden with a knowing little smile.

" Yeah, he was...he got hurt when I was younger and..." Jaden trails off again, unsure of how to continue. Alexis comes to his rescue.

" A coma patient?"

That makes Lia look up and Hassleberry stop silently threatening Chazz.

" Yes." Jaden lowers his eyes so that they won't see the look on his face. That image from the duel with Ojin plays in his head, the card-strewn table, the flashes of purple and silver, the terrible strain on his friend's face as he fell-

" Do you have even one normal memory, Slacker?" Chazz tries to hide his concern under a layer of antagonism. It fails spectacularly.

" Not even one." Jaden sighs. It's a little depressing, how he doesn't even have to think about his answer.

" So what's th' problem?" Jesse's drawl startles him out of his thoughts.

" Well..." How to phrase this in a way they'll understand? " My friend was moved to a special hospital. It's too far for me to get to on my own, and there's no way anyone would want to come with me, and it'll be too much of a hassle to set up a daytrip when I get home. But Akimi-chan has family in the area that she's going to visit in a couple of weeks, so she could find out some stuff for me. The problem is..."

" She won't?" Alexis guesses.

" Kinda. The thing with Akimi-chan is that she won't do anything for free. You have to pay for it." He runs a hand through his bangs.

" What's she askin' fo'?" Jesse prompts, and Jaden lets his head drop into his arms.

" The usual."

" What's the usual, Sarge?"

Jaden gives a pained moan.

" Aw, c'mon Aniki. It can't be that bad."

" It can and it is."

" Just tell us." Lia says impatiently. She has an exam in an hour, and her nerves are strained to their breaking point. Aster carefully rubs her shoulders to relieve the tension. He dares to do so because Atticus isn't there. " We'll help."

Jaden's head shoots up.

Oh.

Oh, he could do that.

It'd be hell to explain but...

He looks around the group. They're all usually good sports...

" Um, Jay?" Alexis looks wary. Jaden dismisses her and looks around the table. Hassleberry and Syrus are out, that'd be too weird. And he can't touch Aster, because Lia, whether she'll admit or not, has some kinda claim on him. And god, Chazz'd _murder _him, bring him back, and then murder him again. If Atticus were here, Jaden is sure he could help him but he isn't...

Well, that just leaves one person.

Casually, Jaden flips open his phone and holds it out to Lia.

" You know how to use the camera option on these things to take videos, right?"

" Sure..." Lia takes the phone and holds it like she expects it to bite her.

" Cool. Start recording in like, ten seconds, okay?"

" Yes?" She fiddles with it, but still eyes it like most people eye a cobra. Jaden turns so that he is straddling the bench under him, and faces Jesse.

He can feel the surprise of all his friends when he bows so low his forehead nearly brushes the seat.

" For what I am about to do, I apologize wholeheartedly." It's not quite the same, said in English, but it's the closest he can come to a formal apology. He scoots forward, and puts his hands on Jesse's shoulders. " Lia, now."

" Huh? What're you-"

" Koneko-chan."

" Oh fine." A click. " There, it's going."

" Good." He nods.

The he cups Jesse face and-

" Hey guys!"

Atticus comes into view, startling them all out of the daze of anticipation they'd fallen into. Jaden lets go of Jesse who scoots away, red and perturbed. Atticus wanders over the table, and frowns.

" What?"

Jaden blinks.

Well, this is a good turn of events.

" Koneko-chan, stop recording." He asks. There's a click as she does, and Jaden turns to smile at Atticus. It's kinda an unnerving smile, and the others back away a little at the sight of it. Atticus raises a brow.

" Atty, could you do me a favour?" Jaden's voice rises in pitch just the tiniest bit. It's kinda cute and terribly disturbing.

" What _kinda_ of favour?" Atticus responds, wary but willing. Jaden hops off the bench and walks over to the older boy, gesturing for him to lower his head. The Slifer whispers in the Obelisks ear. Atticus' eyes go wide, then narrow, then _dark_. Alexis shivers in fear. She's been Atticus' sister her whole life and that look has never promised good things.

" I'd be _delighted_." Atticus purrs. Lia leans into Aster to get away from the sound, then realizes what she's doing, and straightens as if shocked by a wall plug. Jaden pulls back to grin at Atticus, and then gestures at Lia.

" Uh, any time you want, Lia."

There's a moment of silence, in which Lia fumbles with Jaden's phone, and then there is a click.

" It's going." Lia says.

Atticus lunges, grabbing Jaden around the waist, one hand on the back of his head, and _kisses_ him.

Lia half shrieks as Jaden ends up stumbling back against the picnic table under Atticus' weight, his hands clenched in Atticus' black T-shirt. Atticus pushes a little more, adjusts his grip so that he's got Jaden by the hips, and tips the younger boy back until he is flat on the table. Alexis goes white and gathers her books into her arms, horrified.

Aster raises a brow.

Chazz gargles his words, and, in a flash, slaps his hands over the eyes of the curious Ojama Brothers as Syrus does the same to a protesting Hassleberry. A second later, the older Ra' other hand covers Hassleberry's mouth. Jesse scouts along the bench in the opposite direction.

Jaden lets out a suspicious noise. Atticus' thumbs have pushed the hem of his black shirt up and are now skimming Jaden's skin. The older boy hums, pulls back for about a quarter of a second to shift his weight, and then dives back in. Lia's entire face is red as she realizes that the flash of pink she saw was probably tongue.

This time, there is no mistaking Jaden's moan.

Atticus finally pulls away, dragging Jaden's bottom lip with his teeth as he does. He stays above Jaden, smirking down at him as the younger boy pants. After a moment of indecision, he bends down and gives one last, chaste kiss to Jaden's lips. The Slifer makes another appreciative noise. Which of course just spurs Atticus on as he makes for the shell of Jaden's ear.

It's at that moment that Alexis has had enough.

" You _perverted MANWHORE!_ She screams as she dives over the table to tackle her brother. The Rhodes' siblings go flying and land in a tangle of limbs and fists on the other side. Jaden lies where he was left, staring dazedly up at the sky.

" Uh, Jay?" Jesse tries at last. Jaden blinks, and turns his head to look at him.

" Hmmm?" Some of the cloudiness leaves his eyes. " Oh yeah, right. Lia, you can uh...you can stop recording now."

There's a tiny little whimper, and then a click.

And then the phone smacks Jaden in the head.

" Itai!" He hisses, rubbing the spot. He picks up the phone and stares grumpily at it, as though it, not Lia, is to blame. He takes the device and presses a few buttons, uploading the video file as an attachment on his text. He grins.

" Koko ni aru, fujoshi no baka! O shiharai!" He presses send. And then he realizes all his friends are staring at him.

" What?"

" A-Aniki...you..."

Aster smirks.

" You gave us one hell of a show."

" Huh?" Realization hits him. " Oh! That! Um, Akimi-chan has...um, what's the word...kakaku, but that's Japanese...ah...a...price?"

" Price?" Aster looks intrigued.

" Yeah. If I want her to do something for me, I have to do something for her."

" Like kiss Atticus?"

" Like kiss a boy." Jaden scowls. " Fujoshi no baka." He notices Aster's confusion. " She's a fujoshi."

He gets a blank look.

" It's a girl who...uh, well...she...enjoys yaoi..." More blank looks. Mindy and Jasmine would've known what he meant, he's sure of it. " ...Guy on guy?"

" Oh, she's into homoeroticism." It's amazing Aster can say that with a straight face.

" Yeah, so ah...when I want her to do something for me, I have to pay her kakaku...her price. And when she says...oh god, hang on, I need to translate...when she says 'The same as usual', she means a kiss."

A pause. Alexis gives a war cry as Atticus yelps in fear.

" And after payment like _that_ she had _better_ help me out!"

Syrus laughs nervously and Hassleberry looks anywhere but Jaden. Lia buries her head in her hand and Aster rubs her back soothingly. The Rhodes siblings fight, and Jesse glares at Jaden's phone, put out and not quite understanding why.

* * *

I couldn't resist the little Spiritshipping nod there.

And we all know Atty would totally dominate Jaden.

Excuse me, I need to go cool down a bit. Whew!

MoS


	76. Extra 12: As the Saying Goes

Disclaimer: I don't own _Yugioh GX_. And I found all of these sayings in the back of a Webster's Dictionary, which I don't own either. Seriously. It's my mom's dictionary, I'm just borrowing it.

* * *

**Year Two Extra 12: As the Saying Goes**

* * *

**Amor vincit omnia**(Love conquers all)

In the end, all they have is each other; they may be broken and scarred, but there's a shoulder to lean on and a hand to hold and somehow, it's enough.

**Belle laide** (A beautiful ugly woman)

Syrus wishes he could forget how Lia looked during that duel; she was so beautiful that it ruined her- she became ugly in her perfection.

**Concordia discors**(Discordant harmony)

Hiding what happened from Atticus and the others is hard, but it has to be done – no matter the tense air that results.

**De mortuis nil nisi bonum**(Of the dead, say nothing but good)

Vina presses against Topace's haunch because now, he's all she has left.

**Exceptio probat regulam de rebus non exceptis**(The exception establishes the rule as to things not excepted)

Atticus and Jasmine and Mindy can never be told because they would never understand; they've never looked into the eyes of the Light, and known what it feels like when sanity unravels from their minds.

**Fuit Ilium**(Troy has been)

Once Upon a Time, there was a terrible war, and a world fell beneath the crushing weight of Ruin...

**Gens du monde** (People of the world)

Below them, Earth gleams like a gem, and though they can't see them, a million billion people go about their lives.

**Homme d'affaires**(A man of business)

There is a change that comes over Jaden when he duels – from carefree to serious, from silly to strong; He is half aware of this change, because with each duel, ignorance leaves him just a little bit more.

**Inter nos**(Between ourselves)

It's just easier, being with each other now; because when they're together in one place, holding hands and feeling each other's heartbeats, the pieces come back together, not in the same shape, but into something new entirely.

**Justitia omnibus**(Justice for all)

...And so it was that the Scales were dangerously tipped, and the Great Mother called for a champion to arise to defend the mortals threatened by the whims of the immortals...

**Lapsus calami**(Slip of the pen)

Lia doesn't keep a diary; she takes pictures instead, of everything and everyone who strikes her fancy, but she can't for the life of her understand why Aster keeps popping up in them.

**Multum in parvo** (Much in little)

Zane's body burns under Alexis gaze was he walks away from them all and some part of him shivers at all the words that are spoken in those eyes.

**Non omnia possumus omnes**(We can't all (do) all things)

Chazz, Syrus and Hassleberry know that Jaden is a hero in different ways: Hassleberry knows Jaden is a hero to look up to, Syrus knows Jaden is a hero who is being stretched too thin, and Chazz knows Jaden is a hero who is dangerously closing to falling as more weight is piled on his shoulders.

**Oderint dum metuant** (Let them hate, so long as they fear)

In their last moments of consciousness before the quiet black of oblivion, Atticus will be dumbfounded by the emergence of the Supreme King, and Chazz will, for once, curse his foresight.

**Pollice verso**(With thumb turn/With an expression or gesture of condemnation)

...Behind lay the smoking ruins of a once great kingdom, damned by the jealous love of a weak heart...

**Quod erat demonstrandum**(Which was to be proved)

Alexis and Chazz never believe they can beat the Light, right up until Jaden make them remember that they already have.

**Rem acu tetigisti**(You have touched the point with a needle/You have hit the nail on the head)

" You know sometimes, " Mindy muses, " I think Lia might actually be _scared_ of love."

**Semper fidelis**(Always faithful)

He can't remember her name, he can't remember her face, and all that he can remember is that not remembering means he has broken a promise more sacred than any that have come before it.

**Tout comprendre c'est tout pardonner**(To understand all is to forgive all)

Alexis remembers the way Aster acted as a buffer between her and Lia on that night so long ago, and quietly hands him one of the booster packs.

**Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono** (The life of the land is established in righteousness)

...The curse still lives, even to this day, and until the rightful King is returned to his throne, the world must remain in shadow, so mote it be.

**Vive la reine** (Long live the queen)

Vina knows the beginning; Jaden knows the middle; but only one knows the end, and she does not know she knows it.

**Wanderjahr **(A year of wandering)

It will be years later, but Jaden will eventually find his way to all of them, at one time or another, on his journey across many earths.

* * *

The K is a lie

The X is also a lie.

As is the Y.

And the Z. The Z is a total lie.

And yeah. Those are pieces of 'the story' that Amethyst Cat and Jaden were going on about in 'Tempting Offers'

There are hints at future events and things about what the group has gone through. This chapter is for them.

And I will be posting the first chapter of Year Three (yet unwritten but getting done tomorrow because I need tonight to recharge) on Friday. I'll try and stockpile a little, but honestly? The pressure of maintaining a weekly update will probably serve me better than having a pile of pre-written chapters to fall back on.

So see you soon for the opening rally of Year Three Part 1: Journeys!

MoS


End file.
